Man with loaded gun arrested near Trump rally in California
US officials said Trump was not in danger, as Nevada man is released on bail following weapons find
A Nevada man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump’s rally Saturday night in the Southern California desert, authorities said. He was released the same day on US$5,000 bail.
The suspect, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was driving an unregistered black SUV with a “home-made” number plate that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
The driver claimed to be a journalist but it was unclear if he had the proper credentials. Deputies noticed the interior of the vehicle was “in disarray” and a search uncovered the weapons and ammo, along with multiple passports and driver licenses with different names, Bianco said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said in a statement.
“This incident did not impact the safety of former president Trump or attendees of the event,” the Saturday statement said. Trump had not yet arrived at the rally at the time of the arrest, the sheriff said Sunday.
