Samantha Chaffin

Editor-in-Chief

On the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 2, a firearm accidentally discharged from the pocket of a faculty member in a classroom in the Physical Science Complex at Idaho State University, wounding the faculty member in the foot.

A university official identified the faculty member involved as Dr. Byron Bennett, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry.   

Bennett declined to provide comment for this article and directed inquiries to “public authorities or administration.”

Based on ISU class schedules, Bennett teaches an Inorganic Chemistry I Laboratory on Tuesdays from 2 to 4:50 p.m. in room 251 of the Physical Science Complex that coincides with the timeline of the incident.

According to information on BengalWeb, 18 students were enrolled in that class as of Friday, Sept. 12.

It is unclear how many students were present the day of the incident or whether Bennett has resumed teaching classes at the university at this time. 

The Idaho State Journal reported that Bennett possesses a current Idaho Enhanced Concealed Weapons Permit, an Idaho Basic Concealed Weapons Permit and a Utah Concealed Weapons Permit. In response to a Bengal email, Bennett declined to comment, noting it is “public record.”

Public Safety received a call from Department of Chemistry Chair Renè Rodriguez reporting the incident at 3:48 p.m. and immediately called the Pocatello Police Department. Two Public Safety officers were on the scene of the incident within six minutes at 3:54 p.m. and secured the scene until Pocatello police were able to arrive, according to Director of Public Safety Steve Chatterton.

Bennett was reportedly transported via private vehicle to Portneuf Medical Center by another staff member. According to a hospital representative, Bennett was treated and released from the emergency room that afternoon.

Chatterton declined to provide a copy of the police report or names of students in the class at the time of the incident due to personnel and privacy issues.

However, Chatterton said the report shows an approximate one-hour lapse between the time the incident is alleged to have occurred and the time his office received the call reporting the incident. It is unclear whether Bennett was already at the hospital when the call to Public Safety was made.

Explaining the lapse, Rodriguez said they wanted to make sure the professor was taken care of and all of the students were fine. “Then we treated it as an accident,” Rodriguez added. “There was no imminent danger and [students] were able to continue the laboratory.”

“Once that was all okay, I was able to go down to report it,” Rodriguez said.

“I talked to the Dean’s office before I called the Public Safety office. I just went up the chain to talk to the Associate Dean [Dave Rodgers] and then the Dean, [Richard Brey,] and then I called Public Safety.”

The Department of Chemistry is in the College of Science and Engineering.

“It was my understanding that he came down to get some help and I think they helped him and transported him where he needed to go as soon as they had stabilized his wound and his bleeding.”

Rodriguez said he didn’t think it was “life threatening.”

An email was sent to both Rodgers and Brey over the weekend.

No response was received by deadline from Rodgers. Brey directed all questions on the issue to ISU Director of Marketing and Communications Adrienne King.

A request for a copy of the police report was made with the Pocatello Police Department on Friday, Sept. 12. However “The Bengal” was told it would not be available for release until the case was closed.

That report had not been obtained as of “The Bengal’s” deadline Monday, Sept. 15.

Lieutenant Paul Manning of the Pocatello Police Department said the investigation would not be closed until police are able to speak with every student who was in the room at the time of the incident. Manning, a public information officer, said they were still looking to contact a couple of those students.

Chatterton said the investigation is a Pocatello Police Department investigation and that Public Safety is assisting them with anything they need.

Manning said the outcome of the investigation would determine whether any charges will be filed.

King noted that an administrative review within the university could be possible after police complete their investigation.

An email requesting comment was sent to Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas.

Vailas responded saying he didn’t have anything to add beyond comments already made to the Idaho State Journal.

Among comments made to the ISJ, Vailas is quoted in an online article saying, “When they passed this law it was bound to happen,” about gun accidents on campus. He is also quoted as saying the incident was “unfortunate.”

This view was echoed by several students on campus, especially through comments on social media outlets, such as Facebook. Some students questioned the university’s decision not to send out an emergency notification to the ISU community.

“We send out emergency notifications campus wide in the event of an imminent threat,” said King. “At the time officials were notified and arrived at the scene, we determined it was an isolated incident and there was no concern about further threat to anyone on campus.”

Senate Bill 1254, the bill which initially allowed individuals with an enhanced concealed weapons permit to carry guns on college campuses, went into effect  July 1, 2014 despite opposition from the Idaho State Board of Education as well as all Idaho college and university presidents, including Vailas.

The bill made Idaho the seventh state to allow concealed weapons on college campuses.

Colorado, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin are the other states that allow concealed weapons on campus while 20 other states prohibit concealed weapons. The remainder allow colleges and universities to decide whether to permit them.

Idaho State Senator Jim Guthrie as well as state representatives Ken Andrus and Kelley Packer are all on record as voting to approve the bill. They represent the Pocatello area in District 28.

Both Guthrie and Packer said despite the accident, they stand by their vote. Andrus couldn’t be reached for comment by deadline.

Marilyn Whitney, communications and legislative affairs officer for the Idaho State Board of Education, echoed the opposition the board initially had toward the bill. She noted that at the August State Board of Education meeting held in Pocatello, each university submitted their updated campus safety and security plans enacted as a result of Senate Bill 1254 going into effect.

Whitney said she was not aware of plans to further discuss the incident or the bill at their next meeting in October.

A call to the Office of the General Counsel at ISU had not been returned by “The Bengal’s” deadline.

Chatterton asked the campus community to call Public Safety as soon as possible anytime an incident occurs.

“We encourage people to immediately report any incidents to us so we can help in providing the needed services quickly,” said Chatterton.

Bennett received his Ph.D. in Inorganic-Organometallic Chemistry from the University of Wyoming in 1997, according to the ISU Department of Chemistry website.