The Yale Daily News reports that David Light ’09 was arrested Monday by Yale University Police and suspended after police followed up on a witness report that last Friday Light had fired a handgun into the ceiling of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity where he was living. Shooting up the ceiling of you fraternity is bad; shooting up the ceiling with the least powerful weapon in your arsenal of shotguns and assault rifles is worse.

When police arrived on the third floor of the fraternity they found a treasure trove of firepower including, but not limited to: an AR-15 assault rifle, a .50-caliber rifle, a Russian M-91 infantry rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, various pistols, and ammunition. In total, two assault rifles and nine other guns. Light reportedly did not have permits for any of the weapons.  After searching the fraternity during the raid police also said they found ‘bomb-making materials,’ an assortment of chemicals including a large bottle of mercury. Some students speculated that this might be explained by his background in the sciences.

 Described as an excellent student by his peers and as ‘a perfectly normal person’ by an unnamed member of his local gun range, Light was well known as a gun enthusiast and collector. His facebook profile (gone since this afternoon) describes an interest in ‘pyrotechnics, blacksmithing, weaponry, surfing, firearms’ and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Generic taste in music isn’t the end of this story, though: more after the break.

I know some of you may be saying to yourselves, “of course he needed a .50 caliber rifle–how else could he be expected to defend himself against the streets of New Haven?” Just in case someone tried to rob him in an armored personnel carrier, or from 2000 yards away– it makes sense, when you think about it. The New Haven Register reports that his stash included armor piercing ammunition.

Unfortunately for Light, his gun collection was unable to protect him from being charged with two counts of illegal possession of assault rifles, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment in the first degree, threatening in the second degree and breach of peace in the second degree.

But here’s where the story starts to get really weird: the reactions of people on campus.

For starters, many Elis seem too busy to bother reporting anything after noticing their classmate keeping high-powered rifles in their shared living quarters. The YDN spoke with one unfazed student, writing:

[the student] said he once saw Light carrying two large firearms up the stairs inside the house, and another time saw a “serious-looking” high-powered rifle at the fraternity, which he thought was suspicious. “Last night, it fell into place,” he said. “I felt foolish that I didn’t tell someone.” (emphasis mine)

 What?

 One student, who lived a floor above Light freshman year, had heard about the gun collection.

“They weren’t weapons he was using, as far as I know, like people who have an interest in swords of that kind of thing,” says unnamed student. “I really do think it was a collector kind of thing.”  

 At the time, Light apparently hadn’t earned his reputation for shooting guns at the ceiling, or maybe this fellow would be more worried about the suite below him. Still with us? Catch the original incident which precipitated this entire chain of events.

A witness visiting the fraternity reported that Light fired two rounds into the ceiling; when the witness asked him to stop, Light said he was just firing blanks but added, “Why don’t I point it at your head to find out.” [WTNH ]

Even weirder, the YDN reminds us, this is the second time in the past month that police have found a large weapons cache. Last June Stamford police found a stash with a sniper rifle, shotgun, swords, ammo and grenades (WTNH).

Yale President Richard Levin suspended Light; his fate will be decided when the disciplinary Executive Committee reconvenes in the fall. Local TV station WTNH’s video coverage includes some MySpace photos of Light with his guns. Light was released Tuesday afternoon after posting a $150,000 bond awaiting a court appearance August 2nd.

Weapons are not allowed in Yale dormitories.

If you know anything more about this story, please contact us at ivygate.guest@gmail.com.

–SAM JACKSON