CLAYTON CRAMER points out that the University of Arizona is a gun-free zone, something that — as usual — did nothing to prevent a mass shooing. Indeed, as John Lott and William Landes have demonstrated, mass shootings appear to be more common in places where guns are prohibited.

More poignantly, this policy was criticized in a sadly prophetic piece by Rachel Alexander in the University of Arizona student newspaper several years ago:

The U.S. government surveyed 1,874 felons, and found that 40 percent said they had at one time decided not to commit a crime because they were afraid the victim was carrying a firearm. Too bad the signs prominently displayed around campus let the criminals know we’re all defenseless.

The consequences, sadly, are all too predictable.

UPDATE: I thought the Rachel Alexander column was interesting, so I googled her to see what she’s up to nowadays — and discovered she’s quite accomplished. Who knew?