Former University of New Haven Student and Fairfield Resident Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charges

A former University of New Haven student and Fairfield resident who was accused last year of bringing loaded guns to campus has pleaded guilty and will spend at least two years in prison.

Dong originally pleaded not guilty, but reversed his plea, according to NBC Connecticut. He pleaded guilty to one count of illegal sale and transfer of an assault weapon and two counts of illegal possession of a pistol.

William Dong, 23, was arrested after he brought two handguns to campus, according to police. Police also found a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle in Dong’s car. The rifle was classified as an assault weapon under state law earlier in the year.

“This individual imported a newly banned assault weapon into the state in violation of the new law. His weapon was a Bushmaster AR-15,” said Gov. Dannel Malloy in a statement. “His home and personal belongings contained news clippings on mass shootings – the 2012 Aurora, Colorado theatre shooting in particular.”

Law enforcement officials searched Dong’s home and found numerous newspaper clippings of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado theatre shooting.

Dong will also face trial next month on a federal weapons charge, according to the New Haven Register.

A woman called police and said she saw Dong take a long gun out of his car on Dec. 3, 2013 in a Shop Rite parking lot, according to the Register.

Some friends of Dong said the incident was a misunderstanding, according to NBC.

His sentence is eight years in prison and he must spend at least two years before the sentence is eligible to be suspended, according to NBC. He will also serve five years probation and will need to register with the deadly weapon offender registry.

Read the full NBC report here.

Read the full Register report here.