- Indiana State Representative Jim Lucas displays a gun to students during a discussion on gun control at the statehouse.
- Lucas defends gun rights and mentions failures of law enforcement in preventing mass shootings.
- Students express feeling unsafe and unheard, while Lucas walks away when asked about personal experience with gun violence.
Additional Coverage:
A video taken by a high school student in Indiana shows State Representative Jim Lucas displaying a gun to students who were visiting the statehouse to discuss gun control with legislators. The incident occurred during a day of advocacy organized by Students Demand Action, a division of Everytown for Gun Safety. Lucas, a Republican from Seymour, defended gun rights in a conversation with the students, which was filmed and later reported by the Statehouse File, a student journalism news site. In the video, Lucas mentioned the failures of law enforcement in preventing mass shootings in Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas, and argued that people should have the right to carry firearms for self-defense. Towards the end of the video, Lucas revealed that he was carrying a holstered handgun. One of the students expressed feeling unsafe in response.
Efforts to reach Lucas for comment were unsuccessful, as phone numbers listed under his name were not connected. On social media, Lucas did not explicitly address the incident but described the conversation as one of “facts, reason, and logic vs. plain emotion.” He also expressed concern about people being influenced by fear and dependency on the government for safety. According to the student involved, the conversation became more tense after Lucas displayed the gun. She disputed Lucas’ characterization of their argument as emotional and claimed that she felt talked over and powerless.
Indiana lawmakers and their staff are allowed to carry handguns in the state Capitol and on its grounds. A proposed bill seeks to expand this right to certain statewide elected officials and their staff. The video also captures Lucas telling the students to visit a gun range and learn how to shoot. However, the conversation ends abruptly as Lucas walks away when asked if anyone close to him has been a victim of gun violence.
The student involved in the incident expressed a sense of being unheard and frightened after speaking with Lucas and other state representatives about gun control. Lucas has made headlines in the past for pleading guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving charges and for sponsoring a bill that established a state-funded handgun training program for teachers. He has also faced criticism for social media posts that were deemed racist.