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A Florida college student is facing charges after police said he accidentally shot himself on his way to class, according to WESH.
The Daytona Beach Police Department said 39-year-old Joseph Delbuono, who attends Daytona State College, was running late for his English class when his firearm discharged on campus. When officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly found him unconscious and laying on top of a 9 mm handgun.
“This appears to be an accidental discharge resulting in a gunshot wound to the upper thigh,” Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said on Tuesday (April 4).
Delbuono was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries but he's now facing a third-degree felony charge for illegally bringing the firearm on campus.
“We don’t know what his intentions were,” Young said. “He could have forgotten it. He could have forgotten that he had it tucked in his waistband, or he could have been intentionally taking it with him to class. We don’t know that.”
Police found ammunition, magazines, and targets inside Delbuono's vehicle, but officers believe he may have been or was going to a shooting range. Authorities also confirmed the student has a concealed carry permit.
Surveillance video shows Delbuono pulling into a parking lot and heading toward the building where his class was at. Seconds after getting out of his vehicle, shots rang out from his gun, which was tucked into his waistband, according to officials.
Nobody else was hurt in the shooting. A Daytona State College spokesperson said the school is cooperating with the investigation.