Carry at public facilities used for school events

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RCW 9.41.280 says

"(1) It is unlawful for a person to carry onto, or to possess on, public or private elementary or secondary school premises, school-provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being used exclusively by public or private schools"

...

"(3) (f) Any nonstudent at least eighteen years of age legally in possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon that is secured within an attended vehicle or concealed from view within a locked unattended vehicle while conducting legitimate business at the school"

My question is about interpreting the last part. My kid plays on a school sports team whose games are held at places like Magnuson Park and Marymoor Park. While the games are going on, the whole set of fields are being used for the several games played simultaneously by various school teams.

I interpret the RCW to prohibit carrying a firearm onto the field during the games, but to permit locking it in my vehicle parked at the park. My thinking is that a case could be made that the set of fields represents "areas of facilities being used exclusively by ... schools" but that my presence there constitutes "legitimate business" or perhaps that the parking lot cannot be construed as being "exclusively" used for the sporting event.

Thoughts?

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You would be completely legal in locking it the car.

I think you are right about the fields being used exclusively by schools.

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joeroket wrote:

You would be completely legal in locking it the car.

I think you are right about the fields being used exclusively by schools.

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I am unsure about that... Is the public banned from using the rest of the park when the soccer games are under way? If not, then they are not exclusively for the use of the school, and wouldn't fall under that law. I think the purpose of that law is more for when a school rents out an auditorium or similar and therefore has exclusive use for a school-related function.

However, given the above, I don't think you could walk through the soccer field area if carrying...it's a very grey area of law, as the park itself is not being used exclusively for a school related activity, but there is a part of the land that is.

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Tawnos wrote:

joeroket wrote:

You would be completely legal in locking it the car.

I think you are right about the fields being used exclusively by schools.

Click to expand...

I am unsure about that... Is the public banned from using the rest of the park when the soccer games are under way? If not, then they are not exclusively for the use of the school, and wouldn't fall under that law. I think the purpose of that law is more for when a school rents out an auditorium or similar and therefore has exclusive use for a school-related function.

However, given the above, I don't think you could walk through the soccer field area if carrying...it's a very grey area of law, as the park itself is not being used exclusively for a school related activity, but there is a part of the land that is.

Click to expand...

You said exactly what I did. Note that I said fields and not park in my post. Of course the entire park is not restricted. Just the fields in question.

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joeroket wrote:

Tawnos wrote:

joeroket wrote:

You would be completely legal in locking it the car.

I think you are right about the fields being used exclusively by schools.

Click to expand...

I am unsure about that... Is the public banned from using the rest of the park when the soccer games are under way? If not, then they are not exclusively for the use of the school, and wouldn't fall under that law. I think the purpose of that law is more for when a school rents out an auditorium or similar and therefore has exclusive use for a school-related function.

However, given the above, I don't think you could walk through the soccer field area if carrying...it's a very grey area of law, as the park itself is not being used exclusively for a school related activity, but there is a part of the land that is.

Click to expand...

You said exactly what I did. Note that I said fields and not park in my post. Of course the entire park is not restricted. Just the fields in question.

Click to expand...

I interpreted your post to mean that you supported only having the gun in the vehicle, as the park was off limits. Hence the length(ier) post.

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Tawnos wrote:

joeroket wrote:

Tawnos wrote:

joeroket wrote:

You would be completely legal in locking it the car.

I think you are right about the fields being used exclusively by schools.

Click to expand...

I am unsure about that... Is the public banned from using the rest of the park when the soccer games are under way? If not, then they are not exclusively for the use of the school, and wouldn't fall under that law. I think the purpose of that law is more for when a school rents out an auditorium or similar and therefore has exclusive use for a school-related function.

However, given the above, I don't think you could walk through the soccer field area if carrying...it's a very grey area of law, as the park itself is not being used exclusively for a school related activity, but there is a part of the land that is.

Click to expand...

You said exactly what I did. Note that I said fields and not park in my post. Of course the entire park is not restricted. Just the fields in question.

Click to expand...

I interpreted your post to mean that you supported only having the gun in the vehicle, as the park was off limits. Hence the length(ier) post.

Click to expand...

Rereading my post I can see that I was kind of vague.

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areas of facilities while being used exclusively by public or private schools"

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It says EXCLUSIVELY, which means you probably wouldn't be there. You got to a museum and there's school kids there, it's not exclusive. I think this would only apply if you were a parent-chaperone or for some reason were involved in it, and I believe it would be the same as at a school- CPL and locked in the car.

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cynicist wrote:

areas of facilities while being used exclusively by public or private schools"

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It says EXCLUSIVELY, which means you probably wouldn't be there.  You got to a museum and there's school kids there, it's not exclusive.  I think this would only apply if you were a parent-chaperone or for some reason were involved in it, and I believe it would be the same as at a school- CPL and locked in the car.

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I would agree with you under most circumstances but usually when there is a school athletic event, this is more than one school, the schools have full control, as they typically lease them, and would fall under the exclusive umbrella. Just because it is exclusively for use by a school does not mean that the public cannot attend.

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I think it dose but?

Would this include like a city stadium that schools would use for football games.

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Granum wrote:

I think it dose but?

Would this include like a city stadium that schools would use for football games.

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If they are given exclusive use of it then yes. The Tacoma dome during high school football tournaments would be off limits because it is rented out to WIAA.

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Tawnos wrote:

I don't think you could walk through the soccer field area if carrying...it's a very grey area of law, as the park itself is not being used exclusively for a school related activity, but there is a part of the land that is.

Click to expand...

Yeah -- note that the RCW specifically says "areas of facilities" and not just "facilities".

I think having a firearm locked in a vehicle in the parking lot is not an issue. If it's not an issue on the school grounds itself (due to exemption spelled out in the RCW for CCW), then logically it shouldn't be an issue when not on the grounds of a school.