Police, Blogger May Have Prevented Disneyland Shooting

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

A man who allegedly brought a loaded firearm to the Esplanade area between Disneyland and the Disney California Adventure Park on July 9 has been arrested and charged with three felony criminal counts.

Lt. Eric Trapp with the Anaheim Police Department told KTLA that Percival Aguilar Agoncillo, Jr., 44, who was charged July 13 with carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, posted $20,000 bail and was released. CBS Los Angeles reported Agoncillo had two magazines of ammunition with his firearm.

In January 2013, Agoncillo was convicted for possession of an illegal drug while armed with a loaded gun.

A blog that focuses on Disneyland offered details of the July 9 incident. It stated:

A lone, heavy-set, middle-aged Asian man had just come out of the exits of Disney California Adventure (DCA) coming from—of all places—the Tower of Terror ride inside the Hollywood Backlot. He would later tell police he had seen the ghosts of his dead father and grandfather inside the ride and heard voices in his head to start shooting his gun, which he had snuck inside the Disneyland theme parks, after he saw a jet plane while on the ride, disturbing his father and grandfather.

The blog added that Alejandro C. Leal of Upland ,a plain-clothes Disneyland security officer, saw Agoncillo acting strangely, and noticed a “large caliber weapon.” Lead radioed Security Central Communications, prompting Anaheim Police Officers to confront and disarm the suspect. The blog postulated that the suspect was waiting for the crowd to gather in the Esplanade to watch the fireworks show so he could shoot into the crowd.

On Wednesday, Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said that he had no knowledge of any plans the suspect had of committing mass murder. He added, “We’re not aware of there being any plan to endanger or harm anyone at this point…Obviously there are…certain things…we can’t reveal because there is a criminal prosecution that’s underway.”

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