A .22 caliber RG revolver, unloaded and in need of repair, was discovered in Talcott lounge the morning of Sunday, Sept. 1.
The custodian who called Safety and Security reported he first saw the weapon wrapped in a bag and sitting on a table. According to Safety and Security officials, the gun was originally in a trashcan and had been moved.
“We really don’t know how it got there or who it belongs to,” Oberlin Safety and Security Officer Diane Mahar said, “but it’s important to note that this wasn’t a gun that could have hurt anybody. It was in pretty bad shape.”
Although some components were missing and the hammer was ground down — rendering the gun inoperable, according to Security officials — President Nancy Dye said the case is being taken “very seriously.”
Oberlin Rules and Regulations is unclear on what punitive measures should be taken in such a case.
“You’re not allowed to have firearms,” Dye said.”I don’t know what we would do. Maybe Security has a theory, but I don’t know what it is.”
Oberlin Safety and Security has turned the handgun over to the Oberlin Police who plan to trace the serial number and run further analysis.