Man with weapons, including high-capacity magazine, stopped at checkpoint near Donald Trump rally | US News

Police in California arrested a man with guns near a Donald Trump rally, it turns out.

The 49-year-old man was found on Saturday afternoon local time in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a large magazine.

Officers stopped him in a black SUV at a checkpoint near the rally in Coachella.

Local newspaper The Press-Enterprise quoted Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco as saying, “We probably stopped another assassination attempt.”

The Secret Service said it was investigating the incident.

Celebrities and members of the media were sent through police checkpoints where drivers were asked to open the trunks and hoods of their vehicles, which were then searched by a K-9 officer.

Other ticket holders were sent to a location about three miles from the rally. From there they were taken to the site by bus.

Sheriff Bianco said his deputies became suspicious when the man presented fake VIP and press credentials at a checkpoint, according to The Press-Enterprise.

The Secret Service said in a statement: “We were contacted when it occurred and Secret Service agents conducted a productive intelligence interview.”

“It had no impact on the event and we are looking into each individual’s circumstances and background.”

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The Riverside County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: “On Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 4:59 p.m., officers assigned to former President Donald Trump's rally in the Coachella Valley contacted the driver of a black SUV at a checkpoint at the intersection of 52nd Avenue and Celebration Drive.

“(The man) was taken into custody without incident and was later charged at the John J. Benoit Detention Center with possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high capacity magazine.

“This incident had no impact on the safety of former President Trump or those attending the event.”

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The county sheriff's office will hold a press conference at 3:00 p.m. local time.

The man was released on $5,000 (£3,800) bail the same day and is due to appear in court on January 2 next year, according to online records.

He was charged with possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a large magazine, according to the sheriff's office.

Donald Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.

The Republican presidential candidate was shot dead in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania in July when a bullet grazed his ear.

Last month, another man was charged with attempting to assassinate the former president after Secret Service agents found him hiding with a rifle near Trump's golf course in Palm Beach. He pleaded not guilty.

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