ATHENS, Ga. — A University of Georgia student has been charged with a misdemeanor after the accidental discharge of a firearm on campus.
According to a spokesperson for the university, Greg Trevor, the campus police conducted an investigation into the shooting that happened Oct. 8 in the chemistry building.
The investigation revealed that the person involved, confirmed previously by 11Alive to be a student, had "unsafely handled the weapon outside of the holster" causing the gun to discharge. The student was described as alert and conscious despite a gunshot wound to the leg. The student was taken to the hospital.
The findings were presented to an Athens-Clarke County magistrate court judge and police requested an arrested warrant for reckless conduct. The judge ultimately found probable cause for the arrest, and the case has since been turned over to the Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General's Office.
Georgia law, specifically HB 280, allows licensed gun owners to carry firearms on college campuses in the state, excluding some areas specifically prohibited under law. The law does allow guns in campus laboratories.
Information from the college doesn't suggest whether or not the student had a permit to carry the weapon. However, the recent update makes no suggestion that the student violated any other laws.
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