UW-Platteville shooting puts gun policies back in the spotlight
The May 19 shootings that killed two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students put campus gun policies back in the spotlight about a decade after lawmakers considered a bill loosening restrictions.
Wilgus Hall assistant resident director Kelsie Martin, 22, of Beloit, was pronounced dead at UW Hospital, with a preliminary autopsy showing she died from a gunshot wound, the university said. Hallie Helms, also 22, of Baraboo, lived in Wilgus Hall and died a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the dorm.
UW-Platteville Chancellor Tammy Evetovich said the shooting was a "targeted and isolated" incident. The university police department is leading the investigation into the apparent murder-suicide. Officials have declined to release additional details, including potential motive and the type of gun used.
Here's what to know about guns on Wisconsin college campuses:
Wisconsin became the 49th state to legalize the concealed carry of firearms and other weapons in 2011. The law, however, allows the state's public universities to ban guns by posting signs at the entrance of each campus building saying firearms are prohibited.
The current UW System administrative code reads, 'a person is prohibited from carrying, possessing, or using any dangerous weapon on university lands or in university buildings or facilities except with the written approval of the chief administrative officer or for law enforcement purposes."
UW-Platteville has not granted any exceptions, university spokesperson Christine Bellport said.
The UW-Platteville Police Department offers students secure storage of sporting and hunting goods, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, bows, paintball guns or other legal weapons.
Bellport said 23 students used the secure storage in the spring 2025 semester. Neither Martin nor Helms were among the 23 students.
The university policy also allows guns in vehicles that are driven or parked in a parking facility in connection with a special event.
No, there is no gun registry in Wisconsin. Concealed carry gun holders must have licenses, but these records are not considered public.
A decade ago, shortly after a gunman killed nine people at an Oregon community college, debate surged around whether concealed-carry weapons should be allowed on UW campuses.
Republican lawmakers introduced a bill in 2015 that would have allowed UW students and faculty to carry concealed guns inside public university and college buildings. The bill's author, then-Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, said it was not in response to the Oregon shooting and had been in the works for months in response to rising violence near the UW-Milwaukee campus, which UWM officials disputed.
Kremer said the law banning concealed weapons inside campus buildings puts students at greater risk of becoming crime victims because they walk unarmed to and from class in the early morning or late evening, "often through high-crime areas."
The UW-Madison Police Department opposed the bill, saying that allowing guns in a Camp Randall Stadium filled with 80,000 fans would pose a major security issue.
Kremer's bill died in committee. In the same legislative session, a Democratic lawmaker introduced a bill that was essentially the mirror opposite of the GOP version. It also died without a hearing.
Kelly Meyerhofer covers higher education in Wisconsin. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Platteville shooting puts gun policies back in the spotlight
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