Man Had 'AR-15-Styled Rifle,' Bump Stock Outside Indianapolis Hotel Before Women's March: Report
A 22-year-old man living in the U.S. illegally has been charged with a federal crime after police in Indianapolis, Indiana, found him in possession of guns on two occasions in January, The Indianapolis Star reported Sunday.
Police responding to a Jan. 20 call from security at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Indianapolis saw Ahmed Alaklouk was in possession of a firearm described by the Star as “an AR-15-styled rifle,” which he reportedly told police was “fully tricked out.”
Alaklouk, described as as a Tunisian native and Saudi Arabian citizen in federal court documents obtained by the Star, had been renting a room at the Hyatt when hotel security contacted the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department around 3 a.m. after they saw several weapons in his parked truck. There were six handguns in the backseat and an assault-style rifle in the front seat, according to the Star.
Police reportedly told Alaklouk to keep his firearms in a hotel safe and out of sight in his truck to avoid a potential break-in. Officers said the rifle had been modified to function like an AR-15 and was equipped with a scope, bipod and bump stock, reported the Star.
Federal law prohibits people in the U.S. illegally from possessing guns and ammunition, prompting federal prosecutors to file a federal gun charge against Alaklouk on Wednesday. U.S. Department of Homeland Security placed an immigration detainer in Marion County Jail for Alaklouk so he may be held in custody while federal agents obtain a warrant to begin deportation proceedings, the Star reported.
Hotel security reportedly contacted police a second time around 7:45 a.m. when they found Alaklouk’s rifle in the front seat of his truck again and were concerned about his hotel room overlooking the area where thousands of Women’s March participants were expected to gather hours later.
Police and hotel security then removed Alaklouk and two other unidentified men from the hotel, according to the Star.
AR-15-style rifles are often the weapon of choice for mass shooters, including the suspected gunman in last month’s deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
Bump stocks are a type of gun modification that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like automatic weapons. Stephen Paddock had outfitted his rifle with a bump stock, which enabled him to fire hundreds of rounds into a crowd of concertgoers at a music festival in Las Vegas last year.
The hotel’s general manager, Joe Pinto, confirmed the incident Monday in a statement emailed to HuffPost.
“At Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, the safety of our guests and colleagues is a top priority,” Pinto wrote. “On January 20, hotel security was alerted to firearms in a vehicle parked in the garage. The police department was in touch with the vehicle owner to notify him of the policy violation, which requires firearms to be unloaded and stored in a locked container, and the guest left the property soon after.”
A week later, police responded to another firearm-related incident involving Alaklouk roughly four miles west of the hotel. A woman called 911 after Alaklouk pointed his rifle at her and her father and threatened to kill them over a business disagreement at Alaklouk’s store, Medo Tire Shop, according to the Star.
Charges were filed against Alaklouk on behalf of the state on Jan. 31 in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis. He is being charged with two felony counts of criminal confinement, two felony counts of intimidation, one felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm and a battery misdemeanor.
A representative for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed Alaklouk was arrested, but did not provide additional comment. Jennifer Lukemeyer, Alaklouk’s attorney in the criminal case, declined to comment.
Read the full report on The Indianapolis Star.
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