Eric Thompson sold guns to both the Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech shooters, but he’s not apologizing for it. “I’m a businessman,” he tells the Los Angeles Times. “It’s a product.” But Thompson thinks he knows how to stop such violence: allow students to carry guns. “We know it’s going to happen again. It’s time to hit it head on.”
Thompson, who runs online operations from Wisconsin, is not alone. Like-minded enthusiasts are pushing legislation to allow guns on campus, and 14 states are seriously considering it. Gun-control advocates are appalled. “If a bad guy comes in, everyone always wishes there were the John Wayne hero in the classroom to respond,” said one. “But that’s really hard to pull off.” (More school shooting stories.)