Move him out for a month. Mental illness often can have red flags such as someone talking about shooting people, fiddling with guns, depression etc. It definitely isn’t going to be easy. But think of your poor son having to study with that guy in the next room. I would stay far away from the apartment until he is gone. And I would move my things while he is away. Anything to trigger this guy would not be good.
Yes, move him out. Remember the guy who was planting bombs in Austin awhile back? One of them was a half mile from my sister’s house.
Turns out I know the guy’s roommate - he goes to my parent’s church and has been kind to my ill son. I shudder to think he was living with a killer!
Another vote for moving your son out. I would rather err on that side of the equation for this kind of scenario. Get the move done so son is settled in his temporary digs before final exams start.
This situation is nothing to mess around with. Get him out now. The school, landlord, police are all ignoring big warning signs. Your son’s grades should not be interrupted with fear. His peace of mind and yours is worth your son getting away. Go to the entities after the fact to get paid back if you can for the rent but go. Do not tell this guy where you move to. Then have son’s mail forwarded to a local post office box
@CTScoutmom thanks for your perspective! But can third parties do much, when it comes to getting counseling centers involved? Doesn’t the initiation have to come from the student himself? Can students report something like this to a counseling center and someone reach out to the student himself to check in, or is that not allowed? But you are right…they could counsel the OP’s son.
Unfortunately Missouri does not have Extreme Risk Protection Orders, also known as red flag laws, for gun safety. So the police and landlord are likely correct that they can do nothing presently. It will be up to the OP to get out of the situation.
Get him out, but when the roommate isn’t there. Don’t provoke a confrontation. Does the apartment building have security? If possible, see if you can get someone there as you move him out. It’s more important that your son gets out safely than that every piece of furniture is moved. Agree with others who have mentioned contacting the counseling department. Keep documentation of every call to authorities, and threat by the young man. Take names. Ids there any way to contact the young man’s parents? I hope this young person gets help before there’s a tragedy.
While I don’t have any issues with firearms, and friend’s children have had CCLs as college students, that is entirely dependent on responsible, sane individuals. Get your child out now. No amount of money is worth living with a crazy, dangerous roommate. It’s late in the semester you should easily be able to find a short term rental or extended stay hotel/bnb at minimal cost.
My kid owns several shotguns for his sport and even he would find this alarming. His gun will be stored with campus police while at college (as it should be). Just like all the other folks posting on this thread, I honestly hope you’re moving your son out of there ASAP.
OP, any update?
We are a very firearms oriented family, a lot of military experience, etc. and he needs to be moved out yesterday. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms gives no one the right to make threats and is founded on the highest levels of respect and responsibility. Needs to be out right now.
Disappointing that OP’s last visit to CC was on May 2, and didn’t bother to update on this thread.
Just a note to parents of future college students- add state gun laws to you spreadsheet.
This was an off campus apartment.
My daughter went to the U of Wyoming, a state with very liberal gun laws. Guns weren’t allowed on campus but the campus police provided a storage facility that was open 24 hours a day to get your gun. I think my daughter was safer there because the guns were safely stored and there was no reason for a student (or faculty) to hide a gun in a car or dorm room.
Many states have liberal gun laws but guns aren’t allowed on campus. Florida for instance. I think it is much more likely someone would bring a gun on campus than in other states just because it is Florida
Im not a fan of assault weapons and handguns for the general citizenry.
However the evidence doesn’t necessarily align with some of the posts. Chicago has very strict gun laws. Not sure it’s safer at Chicago than UT etc.
Venezuela actually confiscated all guns for everyone outside of the government under Chavez. They are an unarmed population. It was heralded as a great idea at the time. Not so much…,
There are many countries that do not allow guns outside of the government and their violent/mass killing is a lot lower than US.
We lived in a country where bodyguards were normal for average people for a period of time. My kid’s school required all bodyguards to check their guns at the gate and they were not allowed to carry weapons at any school events. I actually felt a lot safer for my kid at that school than in the US.
Yes. Not the point of the first amendment.
I was only commenting about the recommendations posted about reviewing state gun laws prior to a college search. Not backed up by any facts other than hyperbole.
All seem to be more or less just to be “not so” thinly veiled political statements.
All 50 states allow purchasing a shotgun or rifle. Some states have restrictions on semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Generally, owning a firearm for self-defense in the home is allowed, per Heller v. District of Columbia (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010). Gun laws are not relevant to this thread. Everyone agrees the actions of the roommate are alarming.