Accidental shooter found guilty, could lose firearms

LANCASTER – After firing a weapon outside of the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Center on July 23, Christopher Reed was found guilty of a fourth-degree misdemeanor Tuesday in Fairfield County Municipal Court.

Reed was outside the recruiting center as an armed civilian volunteer to protect the recruitment officers last week when he accidentally discharged his AR-15.

The Eagle-Gazette reported that Reed returned to the recruiting center with a sidearm to continue his watch after the Lancaster Police Department confiscated the assault rifle.

No one was hurt by the firing of the rifle.

On Tuesday, Reed pleaded guilty to a charge of discharging a firearm and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but the sentence was suspended.

He will pay a total of $137 in fines and court costs and could lose ownership of his firearms for two years.

Reed and other armed volunteers across the country have been standing guard outside of recruitment centers since the fatal shooting at a center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, left five service members dead.

Lancaster police no longer allow armed volunteers to stand at the recruitment center in Lancaster.

The Pentagon issued a statement last week asking volunteers to stand down, citing concerns about security risks.

Not all armed volunteers have heeded the requests of the Pentagon. A recruitment center in Newark regularly has four to five volunteers outside every day.

abisaro@gannett.com

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Twitter: @abisaro_NEW