MANHATTAN — A New York University psychology student was arrested Monday night and charged with misdemeanor weapons possession for having air rifles in his TriBeCa dorm room, according to cops and the school.
Bernard Goal, 20, a psychology student from Texas, was arrested at 7:40 p.m. and charged with five counts of violating the city ordinance banning ownership of the guns without a license, police said.
"NYU does not permit guns — real or fake — on campus," the university administration said in a statement Tuesday. "When items resembling military-style assault rifles were observed in a student room at 80 Lafayette St. late yesterday, the Department of Public Safety responded, and the NYPD was called."
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday that workers who were cleaning the dorm room saw the rifles and thought they looked like "assault weapons."
"They called NYU security, who called the police," Kelly said. "It's a violation of the law to have those types of weapons in New York City and an arrest was made.''
New York Post sources said the rifles were found on the bed of Goal's 80 Lafayette St. room. The sources told the paper that the student bought the gun parts online and assembled them in his dorm room at Lafayette Hall, according to the New York Post.
The university said that despite their realistic appearance, the guns "did not pose the kind of lethal danger associated with firearms."
"Regardless, in this day and age, especially given recent events at Virginia Tech and Newtown, Conn., the University will respond swiftly to protect the safety of our community when there is even a possibility of gun involvement," they said in a statement.
They have not yet begun disciplinary action against the student.
Goal was expected to be arraigned Tuesday night in Manhattan Criminal Court.
With reporting by Trevor Kapp
