Man Arrested In Stolen Truck Packed With Guns, Explosives On University Of Washington Campus
A man was arrested in a stolen truck outside of the University of Washington campus in Seattle on Thursday. Law enforcement officials say the truck was found to have a variety of firearms, explosives, and body armor but are unclear on his intentions.
Authorities say the man, identified as a 21-year old Nevada resident, was found driving a truck reported stolen from Butte, Montana.
A search of the truck’s bed revealed several stolen guns, including a shotgun and scoped rifle, a ballistic bullet vest, and improvised explosives sometimes referred to as “Molotov cocktails.”
Why and how the man traveled to Montana to steal a truck, pack it with his weapons, then drove west to Washington is still baffling law enforcement officials, reports CNN.
Head of the university’s department, Police Chief John Vinson, says that they “don’t have any information that would suggest any type of attack, but this is an active, ongoing investigation” into the man arrested in a stolen truck Thursday.
According to LA Times, the University of Washington police had their first brush with the Nevada man Tuesday after finding him asleep in his truck at the campus. Police officials described it as a “noncriminal” encounter, simply questioning the man and asking him to go.
Running the plates on the truck’s plates at this point revealed nothing unusual. This changed after authorities were alerted Wednesday that the plates were now classified as stolen.
Returning to the spot they’d last seen it, police officers were unable to find the truck. However, it reappeared on campus at 10:30 pm that night and police arrested the man for theft of the truck. A search revealed a surprising cache of weapons and armor.
Seattle police as well as FBI agents are currently involved in investigating the unnamed Nevada man arrested in the stolen truck, attempting to uncover his intentions and what his possible ties to the University of Washington may be.
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