Man arrested for possession of firearm in FAMU residence hall

By Karl Etters, Editor. Photo provided by Leon County Sheriff's Department.

A man was arrested Tuesday at Florida A&M University after a firearm was discovered in a dorm room.

Housing staff at Sampson Hall notified the FAMU Police Department of a possible weapon after a health and safety inspection allegedly revealed a .38 caliber pistol, which had a round in the chamber and a full magazine, in a room in the residence hall according to the police report.

Nathan G. Rivner

Nathan G. Rivner was charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds and was released following first appearance before a judge Wednesday morning on pretrial release.

FAMU spokesperson Pamela Tolson was still trying to confirm whether Rivner is a student at press time.

A call to the Sampson Hall resident director was not immediately returned.

Arresting officer Derrick Folson wrote in the report that Rivner admitted the weapon was his, which he said he possessed “to protect himself and the woman he loves.”  

Rivner also told Folson he had “seen first- hand the violence of the streets,” but had no intent of harming anyone and possessed the weapon for self defense.

According to the Campus Security Annual Report for the 2012- 2013 school year, only five arrests related to possession of weapons on campus have been made in on-campus residential facilities since 2009. 

It does not indicate what types of weapons were connected to those arrests.

The FAMU student handbook states that possession of a firearm on campus can result in punishment as small as a letter of reprimand up to suspension. 

Friday, a booklet designed by the Department of Homeland Security, "Active Shooter: How to Respond" was distributed across FAMU's campus. It promotes enhanced preparedness, identifying potential shooters and training tips for employees.