An Indiana man arrested over the weekend in California with three assault rifles and ammunition in his car and was forbidden from leaving his home state as part of probation stemming from a case in which he pointed a gun at neighbors, according to authorities and court records.
Investigators on Monday were trying to determine whether James Wesley Howell had any plans to use the weapons. The 20-year-old told police that he was in the area to attend a gay pride event in West Hollywood that draws hundreds of thousands of people.
His arrest came just a few hours after 49 people were shot and killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. Police said they had found no evidence the incidents were connected.
Howell of Jeffersonville, Ind., was arrested in Santa Monica about 5 a.m. Sunday after residents called police to report suspicious behavior by a man who parked his white Acura sedan facing the wrong way. When officers arrived, they saw an assault rifle on Howell’s passenger seat, Santa Monica police Lt. Saul Rodriguez said.
They searched the car and found two more assault rifles, high-capacity magazines and ammunition, and a five-gallon bucket with chemicals that could be used to make an explosive device, police said.
Howell was scheduled to appear in Los Angeles court today on weapons charges.
A Facebook page that apparently belongs to Howell includes photos of the white Acura he was driving. The postings on the page are unremarkable: There’s no enmity toward gays or notable political activism.
A former roommate, Grace Logsdon, told the Associated Press that Howell possessed at least five guns and liked to frequent a shooting range. Logsdon said Howell had a bad temper and had relationships with men and women.
She called the California incident “sad, very sad” and said she hopes Howell gets some help.
In California, the LA Pride event went on as usual Sunday, albeit with increased security. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the arrest at the start of the parade and struck a defiant tone.