LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Nevada man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump's rally Saturday night in the Southern California desert, authorities said. He was released the same day on $5,000 bail.
The suspect, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was driving an unregistered black SUV with a “homemade” license plate that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
The driver claimed to be a journalist but it was unclear if he had the proper credentials. Deputies noticed the interior of the vehicle was “in disarray” and a search uncovered the weapons and ammo, along with multiple passports and driver licenses with different names, Bianco said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said in a statement.
“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the Saturday statement said. Trump had not yet arrived at the rally at the time of the arrest, the sheriff said Sunday.
The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, according to online records.
Bianco declined to speculate about the suspect's motives or frame of mind. “We know we prevented something bad from happening, and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be," Bianco said.
The man made it past an outer security boundary and was stopped at an inner perimeter patrolled by the sheriff's department, Bianco said. Another security checkpoint closer to the rally site was operated by the Secret Service.
“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement Sunday. “While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing.”
Media members, as well as VIP ticket holders, were routed through a number of intersections manned by state and local law enforcement officers before arriving at a large, grassy area where drivers were asked to open hoods and trunks, and each vehicle was searched by a K-9 officer. Other general ticket holders were directed to a site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, where they were boarded onto buses and driven to the site.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.
Security is very tight at Trump rallies following two recent assassination attempts. Last month, a man was indicted on an attempted assassination charge after authorities said he staked out the former president for 12 hours and wrote of his desire to kill him. The Florida arrest came two months after Trump was shot and wounded in the ear in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Attendees watch as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Calhoun Ranch, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Coachella, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Law enforcement snipers look over the scene as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Calhoun Ranch, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Coachella, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures to the audience as he departs a campaign rally at the Calhoun Ranch, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Coachella, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Blaring trumpets and joyful voices resounded in a New Orleans neighborhood this week as about 100 people marched in honor of John “Prince” Gilbert, a key member of innovative brass bands that have become an important part of the city's music scene over the past several decades.
Gilbert, who died last weekend, played the saxophone for Rebirth Brass Band, which has been a favorite in New Orleans since the 1980s. The band is known for preserving and growing the brass band heritage, combining genres including funk, soul and jazz to create their own sound. He also was part of the New Birth Brass Band.
He taught, and recorded with, his son Orlando, who organized Monday evening's second line parade — so called because observers traditionally fall in behind the band and marchers to form a second parade line.
“He’s one of the innovators of New Orleans music, and he’s left an indelible mark on New Orleans culture and is and will always be a part of the history of New Orleans culture,” Orlando said of his father's career.
“My father’s playing was the bedrock of my own musicianship,” he added.
This undated family photo released by Orlando Gilbert shows Orlando with his father John "Prince" Gilbert in younger days. (Orlando Gilbert via AP)
Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician and son of John "Prince" Gilbert, plays and marches in an emotional second line parade, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Musicians and friends form a second line parade organized by Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician, for his father John "Prince" Gilbert, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Orlando Prince, center, a rising jazz musician and son of John "Prince" Gilbert, plays and marches in an emotional second line parade, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Musicians and friends form a second line parade organized by Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician, for his father John "Prince" Gilbert, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician and son of John "Prince" Gilbert, plays and marches in an emotional second line parade, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Musicians and friends form a second line parade organized by Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician, for his father John "Prince" Gilbert, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Musicians and friends form a second line parade organized by Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician, for his father John "Prince" Gilbert, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. John "Prince " Gilbert was a founding member of the Rebirth Brass Band and a fixture in the New Orleans Jazz community for decades. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This undated family photo released by Orlando Gilbert shows Orlando with his father John "Prince" Gilbert in younger days. (Orlando Gilbert via AP)
Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician and son of John "Prince" Gilbert, plays and marches in an emotional second line parade, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. John "Prince " Gilbert was a founding member of the Rebirth Brass Band and a fixture in the New Orleans Jazz community for decades. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This undated family photo released by Orlando Gilbert shows Orlando with his father John "Prince" Gilbert in younger days. (Orlando Gilbert via AP)
Orlando Prince, a rising jazz musician and son of John "Prince" Gilbert, plays and marches in an emotional second line parade, as a sendoff for his father who recently died, in the Treme section of New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. John "Prince " Gilbert was a founding member of the Rebirth Brass Band and a fixture in the New Orleans Jazz community for decades. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
