A Colorado Republican state lawmaker has apologized for leaving a loaded gun in a state Capitol bathroom.
State Rep. Don Wilson (Republican) posted a statement He apologized on social media platform X on Wednesday for leaving his gun unattended for a “brief period” after the building was closed to the public.
“I want to make it clear that I take full and complete responsibility for this incident. I made a mistake and I am very sorry,” he said in a statement. “We would like to thank the Colorado State Patrol and Capitol staff for their hard work and quick response.”
“I take firearm safety very seriously. This is a humbling experience and reaffirms my commitment to responsible handling procedures,” Wilson continued.
The Colorado State Patrol said the 9mm Glock was left on a shelf in a single-person unisex bathroom and was discovered by a caretaker Tuesday evening. The Colorado Sun reported.
Police said they reviewed building surveillance footage that showed Wilson coming out of the bathroom about 30 minutes before the gun was discovered.
The Capitol was closed to the public at 7 p.m., but members of the House Judiciary Committee were meeting until about 9 p.m. Tuesday. The newspaper said members of the public may have been inside the building during the meeting, although security checkpoints were closed to new visitors.
The Hill reached out to the State Patrol, and troopers confirmed that the investigation has been completed and that “there were no violations of state statues and there are no pending criminal charges as a result of this incident.” He told The Sun that the decision had been made.
The Colorado General Assembly is considering Senate Bill 131, which would expand the list of places where concealed carry and open carrying of firearms are prohibited to include the Capitol.The bill is passed by the state senate last week.
House Speaker Julie McCluskey (Democratic Party) stated in a statement He said the consequences of leaving a firearm unattended were “very serious” and could create a “dangerous situation”.
“This should never happen and will never happen again, which is why our caucus is pushing for legislation to ban firearms from the Capitol,” McCluskey said in a statement. “I hope Congressman Wilson understands the gravity of his mistake and the security concerns this has created at the Capitol.”
The Hill has reached out to Wilson for further comment.
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