An Oregon man was arrested in California on Tuesday after being seen with a gun inside a Tahoe City movie theatre. Sheriff officials say they were called to theatre after reports of a man walking around the theatre while openly displaying a firearm. 42-year-old Thomas Alexander was found at the scene with a loaded handgun fastened to his hip. An official press release from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office reads:
Just after 1 p.m. on May 19th, Placer County Sheriff’s deputies swiftly responded to the Cobblestone Movie Theater in Tahoe City upon receiving an assist call. The concerned citizen who made the call sought clarification on California’s open-carry laws after witnessing a male openly displaying a firearm on his hip while walking around the theater premises. It was promptly reported that the individual was preparing to depart in his vehicle. As the deputies responded to the scene, they immediately spotted the vehicle and proceeded to conduct a traffic stop.
The suspect was detained, revealing a loaded handgun holstered on his hip. A subsequent search of the suspect’s vehicle uncovered two additional loaded handguns within the driver’s door pocket and a rifle accompanied by four loaded high-capacity magazines in the trunk. It is important to note the possession of that specific rifle is considered illegal in the state of California, and its transportation across state lines constitutes a felony offense. Furthermore, during the search, deputies made another discovery—an assortment of prescription bottles and various plastic bags containing a substantial quantity of pills were found within the vehicle.
As the investigation progressed, it came to light the individual in question, identified as 42-year-old Thomas Alexander of Oregon, had been inquiring about the movie theater’s customer arrival times. Consequently, Alexander was arrested on multiple charges, including carrying a loaded firearm in public [25850(A) PC], illegal possession of a rifle [30605(A) PC], transporting the rifle [30600(A) PC], possession of a controlled substance [11350(A) HS], and several other associated offenses.
The officers’ response in this case could possibly have saved multiple lives in what was surely a dangerous situation. Instances like these deserve to be highlighted as America fights to stop mass shootings.
