Republican Colorado state lawmaker apologizes for leaving loaded gun in state Capitol’s bathroom

A Colorado Republican state representative issued an apology after he left his loaded gun in a bathroom in the state’s Capitol building.

State Rep. Don Wilson (R) posted a statement dated Wednesday on the social platform X, apologizing for “briefly” leaving his firearm unattended after the building was closed to the public.

“I want to be clear that I take full and complete accountability for the incident. I made a mistake and am very sorry,” his statement said. “Thank you to the Colorado State Patrol, and our Capitol staff for their hard work and professionalism in quickly responding.”

“I take firearm safety very seriously. This is a humbling experience and I will reaffirm my commitment to responsible handling procedures,” Wilson continued.

The Colorado State Patrol said a 9 millimeter Glock was left on a shelf inside a single-occupancy, unisex bathroom and found by a janitor Tuesday evening, The Colorado Sun reported.

Police said they reviewed surveillance footage of the building and saw Wilson exiting the restroom about half an hour before the gun was found.

The Capitol building was closed to the public at 7 p.m., but members of the state House Judiciary Committee were meeting until about 9 p.m. Tuesday. Members of the public may have been in the building during the meeting, despite security checkpoints being closed to new visitors, the outlet reported.

The Hill has reached out to State Patrol, but officers told the Sun that an investigation was completed, and it was determined that “no state statues were violated and there are no criminal charges pending as a result of this incident.”

The Colorado state Legislature is debating Senate Bill 131, which would expand the list of places prohibiting people from carrying a firearm, both concealed and open carry, to include the Capitol building. The bill was passed in the state Senate last week.

House Speaker Julie McCluskie (D) said in a statement that the consequences for leaving a firearm unattended are “very serious” and that doing so could have created a “dangerous situation.”

“This should not have happened and cannot happen again, and this is why our caucus is pursuing legislation to prohibit carrying firearms in the Capitol,” McCluskie’s statement said. “I hope Rep. Wilson appreciates the severity of his mistake and the safety concern this has created for us in the Capitol.”

The Hill has reached out to Wilson for further comment.