Students

Eastern Florida State College Shooter Allowed Back on Campus; Cops Determine Shot Fired Was in Self Defense

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Landrick Hamilton, a 24-year-old student at Eastern Florida State College (EFSC), was invited back to campus after shooting someone in self-defense Thursday.

Like Hamilton, Armando, 25, and Landyer, 24, Contreras are claiming they too were defending themselves, FloridaToday.com reported. The two brothers allegedly jumped Hamilton in a campus parking lot when he managed to reach his car where he had a gun stowed. He fired one shot and sent Armando to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

Palm Bay police said Armando and Landyer attacked Hamilton Thursday afternoon with a pool cue, but the state attorney has not yet decided on whether or not to file charges.

EFSC president Jim Richey said the police's report of self defense factored into the decision to invite Hamilton back to campus. The other two people involved in the fight were not students, but Hamilton does not have a disciplinary record at the school.

"We're reaching out to him to see what we can do," Richey told FloridaToday.com. "He has a special place at our college, so we're concerned about how he's doing and how he's feeling and, hopefully, he feels well enough to continue classes."

The school previously did not allow guns to be carried on campus, but EFSC recently changed its policy to allow firearms only to be kept in a motor vehicle, WFTV reported. There was briefly doubt that Hamilton would be immediately allowed back on campus since he had a firearm on campus.

Gun rights group Florida Carry, Inc. filed a lawsuit Monday calling for students to be allowed to have firearms on campus. When the suit was filed, college officials told WFTV they were already in the midst of the policy change.

Thanks to the new policy change, Hamilton will be allowed back on campus. There is no official word yet if he does plan to return to school at this time.

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