Man with loaded gun arrested at checkpoint near Donald Trump's weekend rally in Southern California
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A Nevada man with a shotgun, a loaded handgun and ammunition in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump's rally Saturday night in the Southern California desert, authorities said Sunday. He was released Saturday on $5,000 bail.
The suspect, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was driving a black SUV that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said.
“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the statement said.
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The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, according to online records.
Media members, as well as VIP ticket holders, were routed through a number of intersections manned by state and local law enforcement officers before arriving at a large, grassy area where drivers were asked to open hoods and trunks, and each vehicle was searched by a K-9 officer. Other general ticket holders were directed to a site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, where they were boarded onto buses and driven to the site.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco planned an afternoon news conference to discuss the arrest.