Gun discharges near a campus food court, no injuries reported
Photos by Kimberly Bojorquez
Reporting by: Kimberly Bojorquez and Adam Dillenbeck
A student’s gun discharged shortly after 2 p.m. April 25 in the Physical Education Building’s food court.
“We were just sitting here and all of a sudden a loud bang went off and this guy’s gun discharged while it was in his bag,” said Hunter Stookey, a personal financial planning major, who was sitting at a table a few feet away from where the gun went off. “Apparently, he hit his firearm while he was putting the laptop in the bag and it went off.”
The bullet travelled more than 20 feet from a table near the Green Line Cafe towards the locker rooms in the PE Building.
UVU spokesperson Layton Shumway stated that the student was properly licensed with a concealed carry permit. When the gun discharged, the bullet hit a table and a light fixture, and no injuries were reported.
UVU President Holland emphasized that while the security of students is of “utmost importance”, the Second Amendment needs to be honored.
According to the UVU Police Department website, students are allowed to carry a firearm on campus as long as they have a valid concealed carry permit. This is in accordance with Utah state law.
The student whose gun went off told police that he was sitting down and getting ready to go to class when his gun discharged. “I don’t know what happened,” the student said.
Emily Stephenson, a student employee at Green Line Cafe who was working a few feet away from the time the gun went off, initially thought that the gunshot was caused by something that had broken.
“I was just here talking to my boyfriend, you know, and everything is just totally normal and I hear the loudest bang of my entire life,” said Stephenson. “I was covering my head.”
Lydia Taylor, a freshman criminal justice major, was walking from her criminal law class to the locker room when she heard the gunshot. She said the incident caused more confusion than panic.
“I heard it and I just froze,” said Taylor. “I found out the bullet went right above my head.”
Police are still investigating the incident.
Kimberly Bojórquez is a Los Angeles native currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in journalism, and a minor in Latin American Studies. From 2017-18 she served as the editor-in-chief of the UVU Review and worked at ABC4’s morning show “Good Things Utah”, Salt Lake City Weekly and the Daily Herald.
She has written stories that relate to national issues, local crime and social justice. In her spare time, she loves to take photos, hike Utah’s national parks and attend live rock concerts.