UPDATED: April 12, 2013 1:22 P.M.

A Syracuse University employee was arrested Thursday afternoon for bringing a gun to campus.

The employee, Chung Chen, 60, who is a professor of managerial statistics in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, was arrested on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment, said Sgt. Tom Connellan of the Syracuse Police Department.

The gun, a .45 caliber handgun, was found in a leather satchel by another SU employee who was cleaning up after a lecture in Eggers Hall at about 2 p.m. on Thursday, Connellan said.

The employee contacted the SU Department of Public Safety, which then determined the owner of the gun, Connellan said.

The gun is licensed to Chen under a New York state sportsman’s permit. Although the gun is legally registered, it’s a violation of SU policy and a crime in New York state for anyone other than a law enforcement officer to bring a firearm to a college campus, Connellan said.

Chen told police he intended to go to the firing range after work, Connellan said. Police don’t believe there was any larger threat, he said.

However, a sportsman’s permit only allows the user to transport the gun from home to the shooting range in a secure case, so Chen was “far outside the scope of his permit,” Connellan said.

SPD also seized another gun from Chen’s house and confiscated his permit, Connellan said.

Chen has been suspended from the university, said Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, in a statement.

“Although there was no threat of harm connected to this incident, as a University we take matters of this kind seriously and will continue to promote a safe and secure campus environment,” Quinn said in the statement.

Melvin Stith, dean of Whitman, sent an email to Whitman students Friday afternoon informing them of Chen’s suspension and the investigation into the incident.

“Please be assured, we take the safety and security of our university community very seriously and remain dedicated to providing such an environment to the entire campus,” Stith said in the email.

He also invited students to contact him with any questions or concerns regarding the incident or safety in general.

Published on April 11, 2013 at 11:09 pm

Contact Jessica: jliannet@syr.edu | @JessicaIannetta