The former University of New Haven student who brought loaded guns to campus in December 2013 last winter, sparking a massive police presence and lockdown, has been sentenced to five years of probation on federal charges.
William Dong, 23, of Fairfield, traveled to Pennsylvania in September 2013 and bought a Bushmaster model XM-15-E2S, .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle and brought it back to Connecticut, where the firearm is a prohibited assault weapon, according to federal authorities.
On Dec. 3, 2013, he was arrested near campus and found to have two handguns on him, officials said, and the Bushmaster rifle in his car.
Dong has been detained since he was arrested and told officials he had the guns out of concern for his safety and the safety of his fellow students.
Man With Gun Reported Near Univ. New Haven
On Nov. 6, he pleaded guilty to the federal charge. Before that, he pleaded guilty in Milford Superior Court to state firearms offenses related to the December 2013 incident in West Haven, and has been sentenced to eight years of incarceration, execution suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
As special conditions of probation, the judge ordered that Dong cannot possess any firearms or ammunition, associate with individuals in possession of firearms or go to any shooting ranges. He also must submit to mental health counseling.
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“A sentence of five years of probation with mental health counseling is an appropriate resolution to this case, as it will provide Mr. Dong with needed federal supervision,” U.S. Attorney Deidre Daly said in a statement. “We want to thank the conscientious citizen who first alerted law enforcement that an individual was in possession of a powerful and potentially dangerous firearm. We also want to acknowledge the rapid response of the West Haven Police and University of New Haven Police, which quickly resolved this unsettling situation.”
Dong's friends called the incident a "huge misunderstanding" and said Dong was just confused about where he was allowed to carry guns.
Dong told authorities he had been planning to visit a shooting range the next day and carried guns to protect himself in the event of a mass shooting.
