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Could a student or faculty member carrying a concealed weapon avert a school shooting tragedy like the one Thursday, Feb. 14, in Dekalb, Ill.?

Terri King, a Madison Twp. attorney, running for the Republican nomination for the 53rd Ohio House seat thinks so.

Currently, state law prohibits anyone, other than law enforcement, from carrying a concealed weapon into schools.

"It was a terrible tragedy," King said of the shooting at Northern Illinois University, a former graduate student gunned down five students and injured 16 others in a lecture hall before taking his life.

But King said someone who was trained, fingerprinted and licensed to carry a weapon possibly could have taken out the gunman, perhaps saving lives.

"It's clear that gun free zones aren't working," said Stephen Feltoon, a recent Miami University graduate and proponent of carrying concealed weapons who formerly led Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

Miami University police Chief John McCandless said he is not convinced more guns would be better, and that it may make matters worse.

Kelly Cowan, Miami University Middletown dean, said she, too, doesn't relish the idea of guns on campus.

"I don't think escalation is going to help. ... How does law enforcement react in a situation like that?"

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or erichter@coxohio.com