Salem-Keizer School District bans concealed weapons on campus

School leaders and parents in Salem voted to ban concealed weapons on campuses Tuesday night.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – School leaders and parents in Salem voted to ban concealed weapons on campuses Tuesday night.

While weapons are already banned for teachers and students, this ban will specifically target visitors.

Before the vote, people on both sides of the debate spoke out.

“As a mother, specifically a mother of color, it scares me to know that white supremacists could sit in this meeting and shoot one of my kids. It scares me to know they could go out to a school and hurt them because of their racist ideology,” said Jessica Perez, who supports the ban.

Benjamin Walden, who opposes the ban explained “we advertise to would-be attackers that they will meet even less resistance in schools, then they are more likely to attack schools.” 

The ban comes after a state law passed in 2021 that allows districts to enact a ban.