Indiana state Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, holstered a gun while discussing firearm legislation with high school students.
In a conversation with schoolchildren, an Indiana lawmaker allegedly attempted to intimidate the children who were visiting the Statehouse and demanding legislative action to reduce gun violence.
Indiana state Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, holstered a gun at high school students while debating firearm legislation with Burris Laboratory School students, making some teenagers feel “threatened and unsafe”.
According to The Statehouse File, Franklin College’s student newspaper, students noticed the revolver on Lucas’ waist as he opened his coat.
The Interaction between Students and Lucas
In a video posted by The Statehouse File on X (formerly Twitter), the lawmaker can be seen discussing firearms with Muncie Burris Laboratory School students. When a student asked if Lucas carries a gun, he responded, “I’m carrying [a gun] right now.”
One of the students responded, “See, nothing about that makes me feel safe.” “I feel threatened.”
Lucas responded, “Those are feelings.” “I’m discussing facts. “People that want to kill you don’t care about your feelings,” he said.
Although it is legal for lawmakers and their staff to carry a pistol in the Statehouse, students became alarmed when Lucas flashed the weapon.
“My heart sank to my stomach,” said 17-year-old Makynna Fivecoats, who captured the video of the legislator’s interaction with the students. “In that moment, I genuinely felt unsafe. And I really wanted the conversation to end after that.”
Indiana state Rep. Jim Lucas Defends Self
Lucas, however, has denied threatening the students.
He told the Statehouse File that he was “simply showing an inanimate object,” referring to the lethal weapon.
“People that want to have adult conversations, I think, need to be able to handle adult situations,” he went on to say.
He even took to Facebook to reiterate his support for guns as a form of self-defense.
Along with his statement, Lucas provided links to news articles about the Parkland and Uvalde shootings in the comments section. “I fear for, and pity those that are being indoctrinated to fear that which is their best means of self defense.” “People are also being indoctrinated to depend on government for their ‘safety,’ even when shown that government has clearly ruled that government doesn’t have the duty to protect us.”
Jim Lucas Faces Backlash ‘intimidating’ High School Students
In response to the video, the Indiana Democratic Party issued a statement condemning Lucas for flashing a gun at a gathering of high school students.
“Indiana Republicans appear to have enough time to belittle and intimidate high school students in between passing laws that defund the police, expand child labor, and help the gun lobby get off in court,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl in a statement.
“This supermajority prioritizes the interests of the gun lobby over those of our local governments, including the safety of Indiana students. It’s wrong, and it’s time to check their power at the polls in November. Indiana Republicans argue that laws cannot prevent gun violence. They have no strategy to reduce gun violence because they do not believe it is possible. We all deserve an Indiana in which students and everyone in our communities feel safe, and Hoosiers who own guns can do so safely and responsibly.”
“I would hope that Rep. Lucas would think back on the incident and apologize to the students,” Rep. Sue Errington, a Muncie Democrat, told The Statehouse File. “They are young people. They should be encouraged to participate in the legislative process.
Jim Lucas: A Controversial Lawmaker?
Lucas made headlines last summer when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drunk driving charges. According to the police, he drove away after crashing his pickup truck into an interstate highway guardrail.
Lucas was allowed to remain in his position in the Legislature after being elected in 2012 because the state’s law only prohibits people with felony convictions from holding public office.
He is a well-known advocate for loosening gun laws. Last year, he supported legislation that established a state-funded program for teachers to learn how to use handguns.
Lucas reportedly told children at a 2020 event that he was carrying a gun and that gun control legislation would not prevent mass shootings in schools.