Man with Weapons, Possible Explosives Arrested Going to L.A. Gay Pride Parade

gay pride
Robert J. Marlow

Sunday Santa Monica Police arrested a suspected prowler, who said he was in town for the L.A. Pride festival in West Hollywood, for possessing several weapons, a quantity of ammunition, as well as tannerite, an ingredient that could be used to craft a pipe bomb.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the man was detained  near Olympic Boulevard and 11th Street. Law enforcement officers found the weapons after they inspected the man’s car.

The Times reported:

The car had Indiana plates. He did make comments that he was in town for the pride event in West Hllywood this weekend. Sources said they did not know of any connection between the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., early Sunday morning and the Santa Monica incident, and the investigation has been taken over by FBI.

The parade comes hours after the attack at the Orlando club that killed 50 people. At least 53 were injured in the deadliest shooting in American history after a gunman took hostages. The gunman has been identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a U.S. law enforcement official said.

West Hollywood City Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath stated that Los Angeles is increasing security for the Sunday parade and other festivities. She said that officials do not believe there is any threat to Sunday’s activities.

She  added, “We are hearing absolutely devastating news reports from Orlando this morning… Gun violence on the LGBTQ family during Pride Month makes me sick. The deadliest mass shooting in America happened to LGBTQ people on Latin night. While we mourn this heartbreaking loss, we must also rededicate ourselves to the fight for full equality for all people. No one is equal unless everyone is equal.”

A ProPublica reporter tweeted out a Sheriff’s Department bulletin detailing the arrest.

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