A loaded magazine for a semi-automatic handgun that was found on a Michigan college campus had been stolen from a police vehicle several weeks prior.
The magazine was discovered in the bathroom of an academic hall at Grand Rapids Community College at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
A statement from the school says the loaded gun magazine was stolen from a Kentwood Police Department detective’s vehicle about three weeks ago, reports the Seattle Times.
Kentwood Police Department Chief Tom Hillen says the magazine was a spare issued to a detective assigned to a multi-jurisdictional task force. It wasn’t until the magazine was identified as property of the Kentwood police that the detective reported it missing.
The detective did an inventory of his vehicle and determined nothing else was missing. Hillen says the detective’s firearm was not stored in his vehicle and that the spare magazine was inside the center console, according to Michigan Live.
Kentwood police have determined that the officer was not on the GRCC campus during the time period in which it is believed to have gone missing.
Classes were delayed on Wednesday until 11 a.m. as other campus buildings were searched. Officers say no weapon was with the ammunition and no other items of concern were found on the campus.
The Grand Rapids Police Department was called to assist campus police and brought an off-duty canine to help with the search.
The school used its emergency notification system, called Rave Mobile Safety, to alert students of the incident.
“The email reassured us they think it’s an isolated incident, that they did all the precautions they could,” says junior Veronica Aguirre.
Investigators are trying to determine how the magazine ended up on the campus and ask anyone with information to call GRCC Campus Police at 616-234-4010 or the Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.