(CNN) Video of a handgun fired from a hovering drone into a wooded area has been posted on YouTube -- where it has gone viral -- apparently by an 18-year-old Connecticut student whose father says his son created the drone for a college class.

No one was harmed, nor has the teenager been arrested or charged. Still, the video has stirred fresh debate about the use of, and dangers posed by, drones.

While armed unmanned aircraft have long been in the government's arsenal in targeting terrorists in distant lands, the idea of someone being able to fire bullets or other dangerous projectiles on a remote controlled flying object over the United States is something else entirely.

The gun drone in Connecticut appears to have been fired on private property and -- so far, authorities said -- it did not appear any laws were broken. There were no complaints from neighbors until after the "Flying Gun" video went viral with almost 2 million views as of Tuesday, authorities said.

"It appears to be a case of technology surpassing current legislation," police in Clinton, Connecticut, said.

Nevertheless, authorities said they are investigating whether any laws or regulations could have been broken when the handgun drone fired four shots on the wooded grounds of the 18-year-old student's residence in Clinton, authorities said.

"We are attempting to determine if any laws have been violated at this point. It would seem to the average person, there should be something prohibiting a person from attaching a weapon to a drone. At this point, we can't find anything that's been violated," Clinton Police Chief Todd Lawrie said.

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"The legislature in Connecticut (recently) addressed a number of questions with drones, mostly around how law enforcement was going to use drones. It is a gray area, and it's caught the legislature flatfooted," the chief said.

"As luck of the draw goes, Clinton, Connecticut, got to be the test site," he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and federal law agencies are also investigating "to determine if there were any violations of criminal statutes," the FAA said.

Up to now, U.S. law enforcement hasn't had to deal with such armed drones. But there have been issues with unarmed drones flying elsewhere, from over the White House to into the middle of wildfires. Drones with missiles are commonly used in U.S. strikes against terrorists overseas, though some say the program has loose oversight and too many civilian casualties. Up to now, U.S. law enforcement hasn't had to deal with such armed drones. But there have been issues with unarmed drones flying elsewhere, from over the White House to into the middle of wildfires.

California firefighters recently complained of (unarmed) drones near wildfires that can prevent helicopters from water drops, including at a spectacular wildfire on Friday that struck a Los Angeles freeway, torching cars and sending motorists fleeing on foot.

Presumably, those drones took video of the disaster.

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In response, two California lawmakers introduced legislation Monday that would allow firefighters to use "jamming" technology to down the drones. The proposal would protect firefighters in cases where they damage drones and impose possible jail time for the drone operators who interfere with firefighting.

A college project

In Connecticut, the handgun drone was used and fired at the residence of Austin Haughwout, 18, of Clinton, police said.

"I don't believe he was up there flying this thing all the time," Lawrie said.

Haughwout and his relatives could not be reached for comment by CNN on Tuesday.

But Haughwout's father told CNN affiliate WFSB that his son made the handgun drone with his professor at Central Connecticut State University as part of a project.

Photos: The many uses of drones Photos: The many uses of drones An MQ-9 Reaper, armed with laser-guided munitions and Hellfire missiles, flies a combat mission over southern Afghanistan. The Reaper has been in use since 2007. Hide Caption 1 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use a hexacopter -- a six-winged camera-loaded drone -- to monitor whales off the coast of New England in July. Acquired under National Marine Fisheries Service Permit 17355-01 and NOAA Class G flight authorization 2015-ESA-4-NOAA; Photo by John Durban, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA; and Michael Moore, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Hide Caption 2 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones An AeroVironment Puma drone undergoes pre-flight tests in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on June 7, 2014. The drone will be used to survey roads, pipelines and other equipment at the largest oil field in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration authorized BP to conduct the first-ever commercial drone flights over land. Hide Caption 3 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones A drone camera follows Norway's Aleksander Aurdal during the men's slopestyle finals at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. Hide Caption 4 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones Members of the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office fly their search-and-rescue drone during a demonstration in Brigham City, Utah, on February 13, 2014. Gov. Gary Hebert has approved the state's first drone restrictions, setting new limits on law enforcement's use of the technology. Hide Caption 5 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones Christopher Brown of the Next New Homes Group uses a drone to take aerial video of a home in Sacramento, California, on February 25, 2014. Drones are increasingly being used by small companies to shoot promotional videos. Hide Caption 6 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones A researcher at the University of California, Davis, removes sprayer containers from a drone after a crop dusting test flight in Arbuckle, California, on February 5, 2014. UC Davis is testing the use of unmanned helicopters for agriculture. The FAA does not currently allow pesticide spraying from drones in the United States. Hide Caption 7 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones A drone delivers medicine from a nearby pharmacy to the Deutsche Post headquarters in Bonn, Germany, on December 9, 2013. The company was testing the viability of using drones to deliver small packages over short distances. Online retailer Amazon has also announced plans to start using unmanned flying vehicles. Hide Caption 8 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones A drone designed to capture footage of illegal hunting activities lands after taking footage at Erwin Wilder Wildlife Management Area in Norton, Massachusetts, on October 21, 2013. Hide Caption 9 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones A NASA Global Hawk drone sits in an airplane hangar during a Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, mission at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, on September 10, 2013. The HS3 mission uses two of the unmanned aircraft to fly over tropical storms and hurricanes to monitor weather conditions. Hide Caption 10 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones Luis Jaime Castillo, a Peruvian archaeologist, uses a drone to take pictures of the archaeological site of San Jose de Moro in Trujillo on July 18, 2013. In Peru, home to Machu Picchu and thousands of ancient ruins, archaeologists are turning to drones to speed up sluggish survey work and protect sites from squatters, builders and miners. Hide Caption 11 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones A drone fitted with a film camera shoots aerial footage during the production of the film "The Girl with the Indian Emerald" in Jaipur, India, on November 7, 2012. While it's already being done in other countries, the U.S. government is considering a request from movie and TV producers to let them use unmanned aircraft to shoot aerial video. Hide Caption 12 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones A man controls an Parrot AR Drone with an iPad during the press preview day of the International Toy Fair in Nuernberg, Germany, on February 2, 2011. Hide Caption 13 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones Derek Charlton of the Merseyside Police operates the department's new aerial surveillance drone in Liverpool, England, on May 21, 2007. Hide Caption 14 of 15 Photos: The many uses of drones U.S. Marine Sgt. Nicholas Bender launches a Raven surveillance drone from Marine base near the remote village of Baqwa, Afghanistan, on March 21, 2009. Marines use the unmanned aerial vehicles to get real-time intelligence on Taliban movements. Hide Caption 15 of 15

The father, who wasn't named by the outlet, said his son made sure he wasn't breaking any laws, the affiliate reported.

A university spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Reckless conduct?

Law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes, a former director of the FBI, said he believed the gun drone could be illegal as a form of reckless conduct.

"What if the drone gets beyond the distance of the radio control? We had that drone land on the front lawn of the White House," Fuentes said. Earlier this year, a U.S. intelligence agency employee lost control of a borrowed personal quadcopter drone, which crashed on the White House lawn.

"Do we want drones out of control that could land who knows here? We could have a child pick up the drone, pick up the gun, and accidentally kill themselves. I see the whole thing as reckless conduct," Fuentes said.

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Legislators should address the placement of any weapon or hazardous material on unmanned aircraft, Fuentes said.

"With a conceal and carry permit, you are responsible for that firearm. With a drone, it's out of your control and someone could get their hands on it -- that's extremely dangerous," Fuentes said.

California legislation

California state Sen. Ted Gaines, a Republican, and state Assemblyman Mike Gatto, a Democrat, introduced legislation this week against rogue drones that interfere with air ambulance, search-and-rescue operations, and firefighting.

Our bill is the equivalent of the "No Parking in front of a fire hydrant" rule for the age of democratized aviation. https://t.co/KQ6t3B4S8l — Mike Gatto (@mikegatto) July 18, 2015

"This is maddening and I can't believe that hobby drones are risking people's lives to get videos on YouTube," Gaines said in a statement. "Drone operators are risking lives when they fly over an emergency situation."

Said Gatto: "This legislation is the equivalent of the 'no parking in front of a fire hydrant' rule for the age of democratized aviation."

I was briefed this morning by CAL FIRE pilots about the dangers of drones while fighting wildfires. #SB167 pic.twitter.com/pCfX8BApKl — Ted Gaines (@TedGaines) July 10, 2015

The proposed law comes after an incident in which several drones apparently prevented California firefighters from sending helicopters with water buckets for up to 20 minutes over a wildfire that roared Friday onto a Los Angeles area freeway that leads to Las Vegas.

Fire helicopters were grounded out of a concern that a midair collision with a drone could threaten the lives of the pilots and anybody below, authorities said.

Photos: Evolution of camera drones Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – Drones in a vineyard? Wine not!? This one, pictured in September 2014 at the Pape Clement castle vineyards in Bordeaux, France, uses an infrared camera to assess the maturity of the grapes. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – This shot of a superyacht was captured using the latest in drone technology -- which have developed considerably in the past decade. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – Justice L Bentz (left) and a fellow operator get one of their custom-built drones off the ground, ready to shoot another superyacht in the Caribbean. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – In 2004, German army officers presented this early camera drone at the CeBIT computer technology fair. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – Most early drones had military or police uses. In 2007, British police in Liverpool used this drone to capture the anti-social behavior of festive revellers during the holiday season. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – This drone, hovering above a beach in southern France in 2009, carried a thermal-imaging camera -- designed to let scientists check levels of pollution in the sea. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – By 2010, drones being exhibited at major high-tech conventions included the ability to monitor the camera's output wirelessly -- and in real-time -- using cellphones. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – Drones soon became features of major sports events. Here, Canada's Erik Guay competes beneath a drone during an Alpine skiing World Cup downhill race in early 2012. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – A year later, this drone is seen hovering above the field during a National Rugby League game between Australian sides Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Sydney Roosters. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – Increasingly, pro athletes are using drones for their own benefit. French snowboarder Xavier de le Rue is pictured working on a drone prototype in the summer of 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Evolution of camera drones Evolution of camera drones – Drones are a part of training sessions now, too. Aussie Rules player Dyson Heppell babysits one while training with the AFL's Essendon Bombers in November 2014. Hide Caption 11 of 11

In last week's wildfire, the FAA imposed a temporary flight restriction, which banned any private aircraft or drone in the area, the FAA said.

Under such a restriction, the agency could impose civil fines ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 if someone operates a drone in a dangerous manner or continues to operate one illegally after being contacted by the FAA, a spokesman said.

The North Fire burned 4,250 acres in and around the Cajon Pass on Interstate 15 and destroyed two semis and 18 vehicles, authorities said. Ten more vehicles on the freeway were damaged. No injuries were reported, authorities said.