Firearms, Explosives, or Weapons

Items potentially hazardous to members of the campus community are prohibited.  This policy applies to the campus, university vehicles and at any university sponsored off-campus event.

Students who are aware of a weapon on campus are encouraged to make a report with Campus Safety at 253-535-7441 or call the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department anonymous gun hotline at 1-800-862-4867.

Given recent events on university campuses, PLU students are expected to demonstrate common sense and good judgment when engaging in activities using toy or fake firearms, explosives or weapons (i.e., water guns, Nerf guns, Nerf swords, etc.).  It must be obvious that these items are toys and they must be used in a way that cannot be perceived as threatening or real to a reasonable standard (i.e., playing Russian Roulette, Assassins, etc.).  In instances where toy firearms, explosives, or weapons are not used with good judgment, PLU may initiate the Student Conduct process in relation to this and/or the Concern for Self and Others policy in addition to potentially confiscating the item(s). 

PLU has a zero-tolerance policy for firearms and all guns are prohibited on-campus.  Guns include, but are not limited to: air-soft guns, bb guns, stun guns, flare guns, toy guns designed to replicate authentic, operable guns, paint guns and pellet guns.

Explosive materials, including but not limited to, firecrackers, fireworks and other explosives, live ammunition, combustible liquids (except where authorized for university use) and flares are prohibited on-campus.

Weapons, including but not limited to: hunting weapons, swords; knives (e.g. hunting knives, switch blades, etc.) and martial arts weapons are prohibited.  Additionally, possession of any instrument or weapon of the kind usually known as sling shot, and club, or metal knuckles, or spring blade knife, or any knife, the blade of which is automatically released by a spring mechanism or other mechanical device, or any knife having a blade which opens, or falls, or is ejected into position by the force of gravity, or by an outward, downward or centrifugal thrust or movement, or any pocket knife with a blade length longer than three inches, are prohibited.

Kitchen knives will be allowed in the residential halls, but are to be used for food preparation purposes only, and must be stored in individual student rooms and/or kitchens.

Self-defense items (examples include but are not limited to, mace, pepper spray, electronic shock devices including nonlethal stun guns) are allowed on the PLU campus, but must be used for self-defense purposes only.  Please note that projectile stun guns are prohibited from campus property. If these self-defense items are used in ways other than the intended self-defense purpose, this will constitute a violation of the PLU Weapons policy, and PLU has the ability to confiscate the item.