Parents in the Ann Arbor school district, which is being sued over a gun ban adopted earlier this spring, have launched an online petition drive asking the Michigan Legislature to declare schools gun-free zones. By Monday evening, nearly 1,500 signatures had been gathered in support of the MoveOn.org petition started by Dr. Sonya Lewis, Michigan Radio and MLive.com are reporting.

As the law currently stands, adults may not carry concealed weapons in schools, but may openly carry pistols. Gun rights advocates tested the law earlier this spring in several southeast Michigan school districts, including Ann Arbor, where Josh Wade carried a gun into a high school choir performance. In response, the Ann Arbor school board banned all guns on school property, and the Michigan Gun Owners is suing the district.

The petition launched by Lewis last month supports House Bill 4261, which would close what Lewis calls the "open carry loophole." "(The bill) would be unambiguous that nobody can carry a gun into a school, and that means concealed or openly," Lewis told Michigan Radio.

The petition states:

"Michigan schools should be safe havens where children have the right to learn in an environment that's free of the danger, stress, terror and disruption caused by guns in school. Teachers should have the right to teach in an intimidation-free environment without the extra burden of having to determine whether a person carrying a gun at school is a threat.

"The recent open carry incidents at Michigan schools have shown that it's up to our lawmakers to keep guns out of schools: until you act, open carry extremists will continue to cause expensive and disruptive lockdowns and put our children in danger." After the Ann Arbor incident, Wade said banning guns from schools can make them "mass murder enablement zones." Criminals would see gun-free zones as "opposition-free" zones.