Teen Charged After Carrying Rifle Onto Georgia Southwestern Campus

The Brief

• Authorities have filed charges against a 19-year-old man accused of triggering a shelter-in-place warning at Georgia Southwestern University earlier this week.
• Authorities report that Khamani Clayton was spotted wandering around the dorms on campus with a rifle.
• Nobody sustained injuries during the event, and Clayton was apprehended peacefully.

AMERICUS, Ga. - A gunman who allegedly triggered a lockdown at the college premises Georgia Southwestern University is dealing with several charges this week.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says 19-yera-old Khamani Clayton was spotted near the dormitories on campus with an AR-15.

The backstory

Just before midday on Wednesday, Georgia Southwestern issued an urgent notification instructing everybody at the college to remain indoors indefinitely.

The university said that all visitors, employees and students who are not already on site should stay away and not attempt to enter the campus.

Although information regarding the incident was scarce initially, the institution subsequently stated that the matter had been settled and that an individual not involved with GSWs had been apprehended.

What we know

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation mentioned that they were informed by the Americus Police Department regarding an individual armed with a rifle at the campus just moments prior to the issuance of the warning.

As reported by investigators, Clayton arrived at the school premises earlier that morning and was spotted carrying a gun, leading to claims of an active shooter being present on campus grounds.

The GBI agents, together with campus police, the Americus Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Natural Resources went to the scene and ensured that the location was secure.

Clayton was apprehended outside of campus without any trouble occurring. He currently faces charges for receiving stolen goods and possessing weaponry inside a designated school safety zone.

Authorities report that no students were injured during the event.

What you can do

The case continues to be investigated. Authorities are urging individuals who have knowledge regarding this matter to reach out to the GBI Regional Investigative Office located in Americus by phone at (229) 931-2439 or submit an anonymous tip via telephone to 1-800-597-8477.

The Source

The details for this narrative were sourced from a statement issued by the GBI and prior reports by FOX 5.