House Republicans Stand Firm for Campus Safety After Brown University, Bondi Beach Attacks

Majority Leader Jason Osborne (left), Rep. Sayra DeVito (Top Right), Rep. Sam Farrington (Middle Right), and Deputy Majority Leader Joe Sweeney (Bottom Right)

CONCORD, NH — In the aftermath of attacks at Brown University in Rhode Island and Bondi Beach in Australia, House Republicans held a press conference to argue that expanding gun-free zones and pursuing additional gun-control measures do not stop violence and can leave law-abiding people unable to defend themselves.

Republicans pointed to the shooting at Brown University and the attack at Bondi Beach as evidence that determined attackers can still inflict mass casualties, and said New Hampshire lawmakers should prioritize policies focused on real-time deterrence and personal protection.'

Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in America and according to the 2024 FBI crime report has a homicide rate that is over double that of New Hampshire. In Australia, firearms are highly regulated with some of the toughest controls in the world. This compares to New Hampshire which has some of the highest per capita gun ownership in the country and allows the carrying of a firearm without a permit, but not on college campuses.

House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, said the events should be a wake-up call for lawmakers across the country. “These tragedies prove what history has shown again and again. Gun free zones create soft targets. When Democrats push more gun control, they are not preventing violence. They are guaranteeing that the only people without firearms are the innocent.”

Deputy House Majority Leader Joe Sweeney, R-Salem, said New Hampshire will not follow policies he described as ineffective. “Democrats want America to look like Australia. Disarmed citizens. Total government control. And the same horrific outcomes. We reject that model completely. Our responsibility is to protect freedom and protect lives, not surrender both.”

Rep. Sam Farrington, R-Rochester, sponsor of the Campus Carry legislation, said the bill addresses what he described as the real-world consequences of leaving students defenseless. “College campuses are not immune from violence. Pretending they are does not make students safer. Our Campus Carry bill is about ensuring that law abiding adults are not forced to be helpless victims while waiting for help that may come too late.”

Assistant Majority Whip Sayra DeVito, R-Danville, chair of the House Republican 2A Coalition, criticized Democrats for what she described as political opportunism following tragedies.

“Every time something terrible happens, Democrats respond with the same playbook. More restrictions. More control. Less freedom. And more victims. The Second Amendment exists precisely for moments like these.”

House Republicans reiterated their commitment to protecting students, families, and citizens by rejecting gun-control proposals they say have failed elsewhere and by advancing measures they describe as commonsense steps to improve public safety.