Man With Loaded Gun Arrested At Checkpoint Near Trump’s SoCal Rally | EUROtoday

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Nevada man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and a number of other faux passports in his automobile was arrested at a safety checkpoint outdoors Donald Trump’s rally Saturday night time within the Southern California desert, authorities stated. He was launched the identical day on $5,000 bail.

The suspect, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was driving an unregistered black SUV with a “homemade” license plate that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco stated at a information convention Sunday afternoon.

The driver claimed to be a journalist however it was unclear if he had the right credentials. Deputies seen the inside of the automobile was “in disarray” and a search uncovered the weapons and ammo, together with a number of passports and driver licenses with completely different names, Bianco stated.

The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity journal, the division stated in an announcement.

“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the Saturday assertion stated. Trump had not but arrived on the rally on the time of the arrest, the sheriff stated Sunday.

The suspect is scheduled to look in court docket on Jan. 2, 2025, in keeping with on-line information.

Bianco declined to take a position in regards to the suspect’s motives or way of thinking. “We know we prevented something bad from happening, and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be,” Bianco stated.

The artificial it previous an outer safety boundary and was stopped at an interior perimeter patrolled by the sheriff’s division, Bianco stated. Another safety checkpoint nearer to the rally web site was operated by the Secret Service.

“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in an announcement Sunday. “While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing.”

Media members, in addition to VIP ticket holders, have been routed via various intersections manned by state and native legislation enforcement officers earlier than arriving at a big, grassy space the place drivers have been requested to open hoods and trunks, and every automobile was searched by a Okay-9 officer. Other basic ticket holders have been directed to a web site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, the place they have been boarded onto buses and pushed to the location.

Trump’s marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the arrest.

Security could be very tight at Trump rallies following two current assassination makes an attempt. Last month, a person was indicted on an tried assassination cost after authorities stated he staked out the previous president for 12 hours and wrote of his want to kill him. The Florida arrest got here two months after Trump was shot and wounded within the ear in an assassination try throughout a marketing campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Bianco declined to take a position in regards to the suspect’s motives or way of thinking. “We know we prevented something bad from happening, and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be,” Bianco stated.

The artificial it previous an outer safety boundary and was stopped at an interior perimeter patrolled by the sheriff’s division, Bianco stated. Another safety checkpoint nearer to the rally web site was operated by the Secret Service.

“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in an announcement Sunday. “While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing.”

Media members, in addition to VIP ticket holders, have been routed via various intersections manned by state and native legislation enforcement officers earlier than arriving at a big, grassy space the place drivers have been requested to open hoods and trunks, and every automobile was searched by a Okay-9 officer. Other basic ticket holders have been directed to a web site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, the place they have been boarded onto buses and pushed to the location.

Trump’s marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the arrest.

Security could be very tight at Trump rallies following two current assassination makes an attempt. Last month, a person was indicted on an tried assassination cost after authorities stated he staked out the previous president for 12 hours and wrote of his want to kill him. The Florida arrest got here two months after Trump was shot and wounded within the ear in an assassination try throughout a marketing campaign rally in Pennsylvania.