Terra in Dallas (maybe)

[dkofos]

http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_200091216.html

Police Want To Know How Weapons Were Obtained
Seized Weapons Aren't Illegal, But Raise Questions, Officials Say

(CBS 11 News) A man who said he is the father of a man whose apartment was raided Wednesday by Dallas police said his son is a gun collector and law abiding citizen.

As first reported on cbs11tv.com, a collection of weapons including assault rifles, pistols and grenade launchers were found in a downtown Dallas apartment.

Federal sources said a maintenance man entered the apartment in the 300 block of North Akard to do some plumbing work. Authorities said when the man found the weapons, he took pictures of them with his cell phone and notified police.

he man's father also told CBS 11 he disputes information in a police report that suggested his son frequently travels to the Middle East. He said his son has never even been out of the country.

Although officials said there is no reason to suspect terrorism as a motive, the North Texas Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation.

Among those discovered were:

* 2 AK-47 rifles
* 1 Uzi 9 mm submachine gun
* 1 TEC-9 submachine gun
* 1 40 mm ordnance launcher
* Handheld ordnance launcher
* About 500 rounds of ammunition.

Another good ol boy gone bad??

[derby378]

1. The 40mm launcher is the only weapon I'm concerned about

The other weapons can all be owned legally without much hassle if they're semi-auto; the full-auto versions need NFA clearance for private ownership.

But that launcher - the maximum bore available without ATF approval is 37mm. If you want the 40mm launcher, you need ATF approval. If that guy doesn't have the paperwork, they've got him dead to rights.

[zabet]

2. Agree,

other than the launcher, he has a 'mild' collection for a gun enthusiast.
Where's his 'street-sweeper'?

[5X]

3. 500 rounds of ammo is nothing, the media always makes it sound like a lot,

but one box of 22 caliber 500 rounds can be bought at
wally world for next to nothing.

[treestar]

4. Well if they aren't illegal

Then so what?

Amazing how you can come under suspicion even though you are within the bounds of the law, while the elite can just defy the law and not get arrested.

[dkofos]

6. It's not so much the guns and ammunition as it is they are saying

(falsely, according to the mans father) the man made numerous trips to the middle east.

[blogslut]

5. Good old boy in Deep Ellum?

Not likely. More like pretentious yuppie or starving musician/artist/bartender.

[RB TexLa]

9. I thought they said it was on Akard

[blogslut]

10. My bad

Not quite Deep Ellum. Akard just intersects with Elm. Still, not quite what one would call "good old boy" territory. That's in North Dallas.

It's been almost 20 years since I lived in Big D. It's all a blur and I didn't drive but I remember Akard was on the way to Deep Ellum, where I worked.

[RubyDuby in GA]

7. Oh! I thought you meant there is a terror alert for Dallas because the YDs are there this week

The Young Democrats of America are having their convention there this week. I'm sure the republicans of dallas feel that the enemy has invaded! :)

[napi21]

8. The maintenance guy must be a Pub! Scared of his own shadow too!

Besides, where were the guns? Was the maintenance guy just snooping? I doubt very much they were displayed on his BED!

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. The guy has the right

to "keep and bear arms." Apparently, they were kept in the privacy of his home. I have no problem with him possessing weapons unless he has already used them to commit a crime or to threaten someone. Any student of criminal and violent behavior will tell you that there is no single reliable predictor of future violence. The best predictor is past behavior - and even it is a poor measure.

I wonder if there was a clause in the lease agreement prohibiting possession of guns by tenants within the leased premises. If not, then the guy should sue the maintenance guy, the manager of the complex and its owner. There is no justification for the maintenance guy rumaging around through the guy's stuff, taking photos and contacting authorities. Same is true if all the weapons had been left out in plain sight (and how likely is it that all the weaponry was left out and clearly visible?). There is nothing to indicate the guy is suspected of having already committed a crime - and possession of the weapons would not violate his contractual agreement with the property owners and managers. Their conduct however would be a violation of his second amenment right to keep and bear arms.

[benEzra]

12. Several of the listed items are a 10-year felony to possess

Among those discovered were:

* 2 AK-47 rifles
* 1 Uzi 9 mm submachine gun
* 1 TEC-9 submachine gun
* 1 40 mm ordnance launcher
* Handheld ordnance launcher
* About 500 rounds of ammunition.

Several of the listed items are a 10-year felony to possess unless you have Federal authorization, i.e. BATFE Form 4 or Form 1. That would include all automatic weapons (both assault rifles and submachineguns) AND M203-type grenade launchers.

If the police are saying "nothing he had was illegal," there are two possibilities:

(1) he was a wealthy collector and had Federal authorization to possess those items (Class III AK's are $15,000 each in the U.S., Class III Uzi's are $5,000, Federal paperwork required, BATFE gets to inspect the paperwork once a year), or

(2) the reporter who wrote the story was clueless, and the actual list would look more like this:

* 2 non-automatic civilian WASR carbines
* 1 non-automatic civilian Uzi lookalike (9mm pistol or carbine)
* 1 non-automatic TEC-9 civilian pistol
* 1 37mm flare gun
* Handheld flare gun (boat style, probably safety orange)
* About 500 rounds of ammunition (i.e., barely a hundred rounds per gun, which is next to nothing).

Either would put this in a slightly different light, I think.

[JacquesMolay]

13. I assume that in Texas, you can get all of that at the Wal-mart.

n/t

[ThomWV]

14. Other than the 40mm there's nothing there that is particularly uncommon

Or even suprising. I'd bet you could find every one of those weapons within 1 mile of the President right this minute. Maybe not all in one place but between the Secrete Service and the neighbors to the Whitehouse you could find them all.

[dkofos]

15. And in the end, it turns out all weapons were legal and no charges

will be filed. Unless the porn on his computer turns out to be of underage persons.