RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. is urging students, staff and faculty at his Christian school to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon on campus to counter any copycat attack like the recent deadly rampage in California.
Falwell told an estimated 10,000 of the campus community at convocation Friday in Lynchburg, Virginia: “Let’s teach them a lesson if they ever show up here.”
While Falwell’s call to arms was applauded, his remarks also seemed to target Muslims.
He said: “I’ve always thought if more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in.” The final words of his statement could not be clearly heard on a videotape of the remarks.
However, Falwell tells The Associated Press he was specifically referring to Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, the husband and wife who shot and killed 14 people at a holiday party in San Bernardino on Wednesday.
Falwell’s remarks have generated a sharp rebuke from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who called the comments “reckless” as well as “rash and repugnant.”
