New University of Idaho President C. Scott Green says he has already spoken to general counsel about how the university would respond to a mass shooting threat.

“I just want to make sure that we train our staff on campus to respond as quickly as possible to any threats,” Green told the Lewiston Tribune Monday, in the aftermath of fatal mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

Green also waded into the national debate over gun laws, which has intensified since the El Paso and Dayton slayings, and the need for “common ground” between Americans on the polar extremes in the gun debate.

“The gun laws we have on the books just aren’t helping,” Green told the Tribune. “We are not preventing some of these shootings, so I think we have to think about doing things differently. I can’t tell you what (that would look like) because I don’t know.”

A Moscow native and U of I alum, Green started as U of I president on July 1. He says one of his top priorities is to enhance the student experience — which includes providing a safe and secure campus environment. (Click here for Idaho Education News’ in-depth profile of Green.)