This article examines the significance of fear of concealed handguns in
the classroom at a public university in Texas, analyzing perceived
changes in shared social space and the collective learning environment
in terms of affect. This multimethod study provides a framework for
understanding the factors behind the fear, which may be seen as
personal, societal, or a dynamic combination of those manifested in
local relationships. Furthermore, it explores disruptions of instruction
and discussion, the profiling of other students as potential gun
carriers, and the introduction of situational awareness in class. Based
on ethnography conducted at The University of Texas at Austin, where
campus carry was implemented in 2016, this article provides a context
for those in the discipline of education, as well as instructors and
administrators at other institutions of higher learning in the United
States, to consider the complex nature of fear of guns and its impact on
the classroom atmosphere.