The College of William & Mary Police have interviewed a suspect thought to have brandished a gun replica at another student Wednesday night and determined the weapon was actually a handheld black stapler.
Vice President for Administration Anna Martin sent a campus-wide email about the incident on Thursday afternoon, noting there was not an immediate threat to the campus community but asking for help to determine what, exactly, happened.
At about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, a student reported hearing a series of “popping noises” similar to the sound of a cap pistol near the Grad Complex. The student also said someone in the parking lot near the Green Line bus stop pointed what appeared to be a gun at the witness, then left the area. The witness was certain the person was not shooting a real gun, Martin said.
Police found no evidence a gun had been fired in the area, but wanted to talk with the suspect because brandishing a firearm, fake or real, is against the law and violates the campus weapons policy, which prohibits the possession, carrying, storage or maintenance of any weapon by any member of the campus community (except law enforcement) on university property.
The suspect, who had earlier been described as a white male in his 20s, with a muscular build, tall and bald, came forward to speak with police. On Friday, Martin said police determined that from a distance the stapler “looked and sounded like a cap pistol.”
“While this incident turned out to be a misunderstanding, we are very thankful that the witness did contact police,” Martin said. “This was absolutely the correct action, and we encourage anyone to contact authorities immediately if you notice anything suspicious or unusual. We are also thankful to the individual involved for coming in to explain what had occurred.”
