EWU ends campus gun storage

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Eastern Washington University is no longer providing weapons storage for students living on campus and others.

EWU Police Chief Tim Walters tells the Spokesman-Review the department didn't have the space or resources to accommodate growing requests.

Walter says it's time-consuming to store weapons because the department must verify that a student is legally allowed to have the weapon. Hey says the department also worried about liability issues.

Because guns are prohibited on most college and university campuses, many schools offer storage services for students who live on campus. Washington State University and Gonzaga University still do, as does North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

At Cheney, about 20 to 30 students used the service before it ended in the fall. Walter says most of them stored hunting rifles and shotguns but more recently some checked in AR-15-style assault rifles and handguns.