Bathroom blast enhances college's Midnight Madness

In connection with an event aptly named Midnight Madness, these things happened at Georgetown University the other night: A police officer noticed that her pistol was not in her purse, a shot was fired into a bathroom fixture and a student was arrested.

Midnight Madness, which has taken on a life of its own, is celebrated on many campuses as the start of the time when NCAA rules permit basketball teams to begin practice for the coming season.

But it appeared that Friday night's events at McDonough Gym went beyond the excitement that has come to characterize the evening.

As pieced together from various accounts, an off-duty U.S. Park Police officer looked into her purse and noted that her service pistol, a .40-caliber semiautomatic, was not there.

About the same time, at least one shot was fired at a bathroom fixture.

A university spokeswoman said she understood the event was "so loud" that few in the gym heard the attack on the plumbing. But university security officers did become aware of it.

The D.C. police department was called, and a student was taken into custody. Park Police said the gun was recovered.

D.C. police spokeswoman Gwen Crump said the incident remains under investigation.