Over the weekend, two Cal Poly students were arrested for possessing a loaded pistol and shotgun on campus.
Friday afternoon, KSBY heard from several other students who said they were angered and shaken to find out about what happened.
“It definitely got my mind racing a little bit,” said fourth-year Cal Poly student, Katrina Roseberry. “It is a little anxiety-inducing to know that there were weapons on campus.”
According to the university, at around 10:15 p.m. Saturday, Cal Poly Police responded to the sound of gunshots in the Poly Canyon Village area and found students, Charles Hojaboom and Brandon Pham in possession of the firearms.
“It seems kind of stupid," said first-year student, Akaash Kapdia. "I don’t know why you would have guns on campus."
“I feel like this is such a common occurrence. You always hear stories about people having guns in public places,” another student said.
Cal Poly officials say that night, police dispatch fielded several 911 calls from residents who also reported the noises. Roseberry, who lives in the Poly Canyon Village apartments, says she may have heard them from her apartment.
“I was actually in my room with my boyfriend Saturday night, and we heard something," she recalled. "I am not sure if it was that, but we heard something and we just paused for a little bit."
Once Cal Poly Police located Pham and Hojaboom, university officials say they found a campus sign on the road that had bullet holes.
They say the two students were booked on both felony and misdemeanor charges for possession of weapons and vandalism.
“Obviously, this is a big concern nowadays for a lot of people," added Roseberry. "So, it was concerning, but I am happy to know police were able to respond quickly."
According to the university, both students have since bailed out of jail, and in the interest of safety, Cal Poly officials say Hojaboom and Pham are now barred from campus.
Roseberry, meanwhile, who is set to graduate in the coming months, says she hopes the presence of guns at her school was simply a poor mistake.
“Really hoping that there wasn’t any malicious intent from it. I think they said they were shooting targets like signs. So, hopefully, it was just stupidity and having things you shouldn’t have on campus, but no intention of using it for anything bad,” she explained. “But, it is nice to be going home for a week of break after this.”
University officials added that no injuries were reported and that all indications were that the students were firing at targets and not people.
Cal Poly community members are being asked to call university police immediately if they see either student on campus.
