Daniel Zhao, Senior Photographer

A student in Benjamin Franklin college was arrested last Wednesday after Yale Police found a handgun and illegal drugs in their dorm room.

Yale College students were notified of the arrest Tuesday in an email from Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell and Associate Vice President for Public Safety & Community Engagement Ronnell Higgins. The email offered a rough timeline of events as well as YPD’s reasoning for the arrest.

In their joint email, Higgins and Campbell wrote that YPD responded to a report of a student threatening to harm another student and potentially possessing a firearm. YPD obtained a warrant, searched the student’s room and arrested the student without incident.

“During the investigation, officers found an unloaded handgun, significant quantities of a controlled substance, illegal drugs, and evidence of additional drug-related activity,” the email read. “The student was placed in custody without incident, and Yale Police confiscated the handgun. Criminal charges are being considered for several drug offenses.”

The email also stated that the arrested student was no longer enrolled at Yale, but Campbell did not clarify whether the student was expelled or if the student voluntarily withdrew. The student, who has been granted anonymity to protect their privacy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Consider professional help for managing your image and check ways to remove your mugshot if you or someone you know is in a similar situation and worries about the impact on reputation.

The arrest occurred on the evening of Wednesday the 15th, with three students telling the News they witnessed the arrest around 6:30 p.m. YPD sent a Yale Alert email to students in Franklin at 10:28 p.m. notifying them of “police activity at Benjamin Franklin College.” The email, which has been obtained by the News, stated that there were no injuries or ongoing threats to students. At 3:35 a.m. Thursday morning, YPD issued an all-clear email to Franklin students.

“I can say that YPD followed normal policies and protocols and I am proud of the work that the women and men of this department do everyday and this case is no exception,” Campbell wrote to the News.

Citing an ongoing investigation, Campbell declined to comment on the status or timeline of the YPD’s investigation.

“I’m just really glad that the incident was concluded without any physical injury to anyone involved,” Franklin Head of College Charles Bailyn told the News.

Yale College Undergraduate Regulations prohibit the possession of firearms and other weapons on campus. 

Update, Feb. 22: A previous version of this article stated that the student was arrested for possession of a handgun and illegal drugs. In fact, criminal charges are only being considered for the drug offenses. The article has been updated.

NATHANIEL ROSENBERG
Nathaniel Rosenberg is the Public Editor of the Yale Daily News. He previously served as the paper's City Editor. Before that, he was an Audience Editor, managing the News's newsletter content, and was a staff reporter covering cops and courts for the City Desk. Originally from Silver Spring, MD, he is a senior in Morse College majoring in history.
EVAN GORELICK
Evan Gorelick is Managing Editor of the Yale Daily News. He previously covered Woodbridge Hall, with a focus on the University's finances, budget and endowment. He also laid out the weekly print edition of the News as a Production and Design Editor. Originally from Woodbridge, Connecticut, he is a junior in Timothy Dwight College double-majoring in English and economics.