Rep. Don Wilson, R-Monument, left a loaded 9mm Glock handgun unattended in the state Capitol this week and has apologized for doing so.

Wilson penned a letter of apology to the House of Representatives on Thursday, noting that he left the gun in the building on Tuesday – after the building was closed to the public.

“I want to be clear that I take full and complete accountability for the incident,” Wilson wrote. “I made a mistake and am very sorry.”

He also thanked the state Capitol staff and the Colorado State Patrol for their quick response.

“I take firearm safety very seriously,” Wilson said, adding it’s a “humbling experience” that will reaffirm his commitment to responsible handling procedures.

The state patrol said the Capitol closed on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Wilson left a Capitol bathroom at 8:58 p.m., based onvideo cameras, and left the building at 9:10 p.m. Janitorial staff found the weapon at 9:21 p.m.

The state patrol confirmed no one else was seen going in or out of the bathroom. Troopers arrived at 9:26 p.m. Wilson called the state patrol at 10:14 p.m., informing them he’d left the weapon behind. It was returned to him at 10:20 p.m.

House Speaker Julie McCluskie said the consequences for leaving a firearm unattended “could be very serious, and the incident this week 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. I hope Rep. Wilson appreciates the severity of his mistake and the safety concern this has created for us in the Capitol,” the speaker said. 

“As a responsible firearm owner, it’s frustrating and disappointing to continually see colleagues make mistakes with their guns,” added Majority Leader Monica Duran of Wheat Ridge, who has spoken at length about being a gun owner.

Duran is the sponsor of several firearms-related bills in the 2024 session, including a bill levying an excise tax on firearms and ammunition purchases. she also sponsored legislation mandating that all concealed carry permit training classes be conducted in person – with a curriculum to cover firearm safety, storage, state and federal gun laws, and self-defense and de-escalation tactics; that applicants must pass a written exam and live-fire exercise; and that renewals require a refresher course.

“Everyone who carries a firearm must do so with the utmost care at all times, which is why it is so important to me that people receive proper training and observe it and that we strengthen the requirements for a concealed carry permit,” Duran said. “I’ve expressed my deepest concerns to Rep. Wilson and Minority Leadership. It’s my expectation that he follows through with his commitment not to carry his firearm at the Capitol.”

The issue of mishandling guns has come up repeatedly at the state Capitol. In 2014, a Republican lawmaker left a loaded handgun in a House committee room where the public had been just moments earlier. Meanwhile, a lawmaker dropped an un-holstered handgun –  the weapon wasn’t loaded – in a hurry to get to a House floor vote just outside the House chambers. And in January 2023, a lawmaker’s truck was broken into at the state Capitol parking lot and two firearms were stolen.

A bill mandating that firearms in vehicles be secured in a safe or in the trunk is now in the state Senate. Another measure that would ban lawmakers from bringing guns into the state Capitol is awaiting its first hearing in the House.