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Gun control fighting for lawmakers to reject a bill

Posted at 9:23 PM, Feb 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-22 02:48:47-05

Still fresh in so many people's minds the violence that rang out in the Fort Lauderdale airport where five people died.

NewsChannel 5 spoke with college students about guns on campus.

"I mean, the threat is big enough as it is, we see everything going around all over the country," said one student.

"Someone who is responsible and has the proper documentation to carry a firearm should be allowed to bring it on the college campus," said another. 

These two students on opposite sides of the gun issue, reacted  to a Florida Senate bill now being debated. The measure focuses on allowing people who have permits for a concealed weapon to openly carry and to eliminate the concealed weapons ban in schools, on college campuses and at airports.

Alex Shkope, owner of Guns and Range Training Center told me he supports concealed weapons, but says open carry is not needed.

"I think firearms are just one of those things that good people should be able to carry them because bad people will anyway," said Shkope.

After the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting, Schoen Consulting commissioned a survey of 600 Florida voters. The results released Tuesday show 69 percent oppose guns in schools, 76 percent oppose them on college campus and almost the same percentage also oppose them in airports.

One traveler said, "I am from Pennsylvania, I have a gun permit, but it's never crossed my mind to bring my concealed weapon into a school or to an airport."

The senator originally had one large bill, but decided to split it into 10 individual bills. Lawmakers could review the bill next month.