Legislation enforcement officers have introduced a wealth of prices towards a 34-year-old man from Fort Lauderdale, Florida after he, allegedly, left a suitcase stuffed with weapons in Newark-Penn Station and carried different weapons — together with, what officers referred to as a “booby-trapped rifle” — onto a prepare earlier than being arrested in Trenton, New Jersey.
On Wednesday, regulation enforcement officers in New Jersey introduced that Jefferey O. Kennerk, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, can be charged with aggravated assault, endangering others, a number of weapon prices and different offenses after being arrested on the Trenton Transit Heart on Jan. 3, 2025.
On the time of his arrest, officers mentioned, a booby-trapped rifle fired on the transit heart because it was being confiscated by officers.
“This defendant allegedly hauled a small arsenal of deadly weapons and ammunition through busy transit stations, and on a train filled with passengers,” mentioned New Jersey Lawyer Common Matthew Platkin in a press release on Kennerk’s arrest. “He allegedly left a suitcase containing assorted weapons and ammunition – including an assault rifle – in the concourse of Newark-Penn Station, where anyone could have been harmed by them. If not for the outstanding police work done in this matter, we can only imagine where this defendant and these weapons would have ended up.”
In line with courtroom paperwork, the investigation into Kennerk’s actions started at about 2:55 p.m. on Jan. 3, 2025, when a New Jersey Transit officer at Newark-Penn Station, in Newark, seen an unattended black-and-white zebra print suitcase left unattended close to a McDonald’s restaurant an an entrance to the Newark subway system.
An investigation, officers mentioned, revealed that the suitcase contained a loaded handgun together with an assault rifle-style journal loaded with rifle rounds, a plastic again containing a t-shirt and 4 bins of bullets for each the handgun and a rifle.
In a secondary compartment within the suitcase, officers mentioned, officers discovered an AK-47-style rifle loaded with one spherical together with extra magazines loaded with ammunition.
In a assessment of safety footage, officers noticed a person — now believed to have been Kennerk — stroll away from the zebra print suitcase to purchase a prepare ticket at an Amtrak ticket window.
Officers, courtroom paperwork observe, realized the prepare that Kennerk acquired on — which was headed to Virginia — after shopping for a ticket would cease on the Trenton Transit Heart subsequent.
Nevertheless, Kennerk was subsequent confronted by law enforcement officials who acquired onto the prepare when it arrived in Trenton, officers mentioned, he confirmed them a ticket for a distinct Amtrak prepare and claimed he had boarded the improper prepare.
These officers eliminated Kennerk from the prepare and suggested him to attend on the station for the proper prepare, which was anticipated to go away the station inside the subsequent hour, officers mentioned.
Nevertheless the officers quickly realized that Kennerk was wanted the suitcase was left in Newark they usually approached him as soon as once more, apprehending him simply earlier than he was about to hop onto a distinct prepare, based on police.
In a search of a suitcase that was on Kennerk on the time of his arrest, officers mentioned, officers recovered “multiple weapons” together with an AR-15-stlye rifle, extra ammunition and a number of hand weapons.
Police officers mentioned the officers additionally recovered, what they referred to as, a “booby-trapped rifle.”
“While conducting the search of the bag, police allegedly removed a separate rifle that was loaded with .300 AAC Blackout ammunition. While removing that rifle from the suitcase, multiple handkerchiefs were observed wrapped around the trigger guard,” New Jersey officers mentioned in a press release on Kennerk’s prices. “The officer placed the muzzle into the suitcase pointed at the ground and attempted to remove one of the handkerchiefs to render it safe, at which time the firearm discharged without the officer engaging the trigger, indicating that the gun was allegedly booby-trapped.”
Additionally, officers mentioned, police discovered 4 weapon “silencers” and hole level ammunition for each of the rifles that have been recovered.
“The indictment of this individual underscores the severe threat posed by those who amass illegal weapons with blatant disregard for public safety,” mentioned Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police in a press release. “The swift and coordinated efforts of law enforcement prevented a potentially catastrophic event. By seizing these illegal firearms—including assault rifles, large-capacity magazines, silencers, and a booby-trapped rifle that discharged—officers averted a tragedy. Our unwavering commitment remains: to protect our communities and ensure that individuals who jeopardize public safety are held accountable.”
Officers mentioned an investigation on this case continues to be ongoing.
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