A teenager was arrested after carrying a stolen AR-15 on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University, GBI officials said Thursday.

Khamani Clayton, 19, was charged with theft by receiving stolen property and carrying weapons within a school safety zone. Clayton is not a student at the school, located in Americus, the GBI said.

Authorities issued a shelter in place on the campus, which has about 3,700 students, around midday Wednesday after police received a report of someone carrying a rifle near dormitories. Clayton was later seen leaving campus with the firearm, which prompted reports of an active shooter. The shelter in place order was lifted about two hours later after authorities cleared the campus to ensure there was not a threat to students. Local law enforcement took Clayton into custody without incident. No shots were fired, and no students were harmed.

Clayton was booked into the Sumter County Law Enforcement Center.

The GBI said the weapon was taken from a location in Clayton County and are working on determining where it was stolen.

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Gov. Brian Kemp, facing, greets House Speaker Jon Burns, during a press conference about the signing of numerous bills including the student safety bill, House Bill 268, at the north wing steps of the Georgia State Capitol, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

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