On Friday, we reported on a police response at LA Fitness in The Junction, with two people detained after reports that at least one had brandished a gun at the front desk of the gym. We had several followup questions out to SPD and some are answered by an SPD Blotter post just published. SPD confirms that the two people detained – both described as 18-year-old men – were both eventually arrested and booked into jail. The police post includes this photo and says officers (corrected) seized “a handgun from the car (that) had an extended magazine and appeared to have been modified to make it fully automatic”:
According to SPD, “(LA Fitness) employees said when they asked the two suspects to leave because they didn’t have memberships, one of the men pulled a gun from his jacket pocket and the other verbally threatened to kill an employee.” Then they reportedly “fled toward the parking garage (where) officers stopped the suspects’ car at the garage exit as they attempted to leave … (officers also) identified and released a third subject in the car who was determined to not be involved.” Police say the man suspected of brandishing the gun was arrested for investigation of felony harassment, unlawful possession of a firearm (under the age of 21), possession of an unlawful weapon, and displaying a weapon to intimidate, while the other was arrested for investigation of felony harassment and obstruction. SPD says the latter is because that suspect kept giving them a false name; once they learned his real name, they discovered he had warrants for burglary and robbery. The jail docket indicates both remain in custody today; we’ll be following up with prosecutors in the coming week regarding possible charges.
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