U.S. Has A Gun Problem: LA Police Recover Arsenal of 500 Guns From Convicted Man’s Home
U.S' gun problem has been highlighted once again after police in Los Angeles County acting on a tip raided the house of a man who had served time in jail. The raid led them to an arsenal of guns numbering more than 500 which he is prohibited from owning as he has a conviction record.
The U.S.’s Constitution grants its citizens the right to own and operate guns but this right is being abused left, right and center and the evidence is in the number of people and children that die due to gun-related violence every year. The problem has been highlighted once again after police in Los Angeles County acting on a tip raided the house of a man who had served time in jail. The raid led them to an arsenal of guns numbering more than 500 which he is prohibited from owning as he has a conviction record.
Investigators raided the home of Manuel Fernandez after getting a tip that he had multiple weapons. After entering the property, they found a staggering number of weapons, including rifles, shotguns and handguns, some decades old.
Fernandez, 60, was arrested after the raid, during which investigators found 432 guns. When police went in for a second-round of search the next day they uncovered 91 more firearms concealed in different parts of the house. Investigators also seized electronics used to purchase the weapons.
The investigation led detectives to a woman linked to the firearms purchases in the same neighbourhood. While she was not home, detectives recovered 30 guns from her home, officials said.
Fernandez was arrested and charged with being a repeat offender in possession of firearms, and illegally having an assault rifle and large-capacity magazines. He was released on a $35,000 bond a day after his arrest.
Police released photos of the huge arsenal, most of the weapons appearing to be rifles but some handguns also in the mix.
Americans who are convicted of a serious crime, known as a felony, lose their legal right to own a firearm.
According to the LA Times, a source familiar with the investigation says the owner appears to be a firearms collector. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) are examining the weapons - some appear to be decades old - in an attempt to trace their origin.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2018 01:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).