Man with weapons arrested after allegedly spotted with gun near a California movie theater: Police
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on June 1, 2023
(TAHOE CITY, Calif.) — A man found with an arsenal of weapons was arrested after a person near a local California movie theater spotted him with a gun and called 911, authorities said.
Police arrested 42-year-old Thomas Alexander of Oregon after conducting a traffic stop near the Cobblestone Movie Theater on May 19. Authorities discovered multiple weapons in his vehicle, including a loaded handgun holstered on his hip, a loaded rifle with four high-capacity magazines, two additional loaded handguns and prescription pills, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
Alexander is facing multiple charges, including carrying a loaded firearm in public, illegal possession of a rifle, transporting a rifle and possession of a controlled substance, according to the sheriff’s office.
Law enforcement officials responded to an emergency call from a concerned citizen at the Tahoe City-area movie theater inquiring about California’s gun law on open carry, after the citizen allegedly saw Alexander with a weapon, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
Prior to his arrest, Alexander allegedly inquired about the arrival time of theatergoers, according to police.
According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, California is home to the strictest gun laws in the U.S.– some of which were enacted in response to several violent mass shootings in recent years, including a bill from February that expanded the state’s gun licensing system and strengthened gun training requirements.
Despite its tough laws on firearms, California has been the site of a handful of mass shootings so far this year.
Eleven people were killed and nine injured at a dance studio in Monterey Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, on Jan. 21 during a Lunar New Year celebration.
On Jan. 23, seven people were fatally shot in Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, after a suspect open fired on two farms in the rural town, according to officials.
California voters passed Proposition 63 in 2016, which requires background checks for purchasing ammunition and prohibits possession of large-capacity magazines. A red flag law also went into effect that year, which prevents certain people from acquiring firearms.
Alexander’s attorney did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
His next hearing is on June 7, according to court records.
ABC News’ Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
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