Published 05:52 IST, August 7th 2020
Three teenagers arrested for entering Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort with loaded AK47 rifle
Three teenagers have been arrested for reportedly entering US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with a loaded AK47 assault rifle.
Three teenagers have been arrested for reportedly entering US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with a loaded AK47 assault rifle.
According to the international media reports, as the Palm Beach police attempted to approach their car, which was parked near Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, the 15-year-old boys jumped a wall while fleeing and were later traced hiding inside the resort.
Teens enter Mar-a-Lago
As per reports, Police spokesman Michael Ogrodnick said that the boys were found three kilometers from the club after they tried to flee the police. He added that the boys were confused as they saw police conducting a separate traffic stop outside the resort and thought it was a trap set up to nab them.
According to the police reports, the boys immediately left the car and jumped off the wall and fled into the club. In addition, they purportedly dumped a backpack containing the loaded semi-automatic rifle and a 14-round magazine at the premises.
The Police spokesman said that the boys were lucky as the US President was not present at the Mar-a-Lago resort, otherwise they would have been shot by the secret service.
As per the reports, the teens were charged with trespassing with a firearm, burglary with a firearm, and resisting arrest without violence. The suspects have been presented in a juvenile detention centre as authorities determine whether to prosecute them as adults.
In December 2019, Washington proposed bans on the sale of “assault weapons” and high capacity magazines as part of a package of gun laws. The rising gun violence in the country is one of the major drivers of the move and the 2020 US presidential election will see the issue being raised by both the major parties, especially the Democrats.
Image Credits: AP
Updated 06:01 IST, August 7th 2020