Extended magazines: Criminals packing more bullets have St. Pete police on high alert
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — After an officer-involved shooting over the weekend in St. Petersburg, law enforcement agencies are calling attention to an alarming trend of criminals packing more bullets.
“It is very concerning that people are getting these handguns, and putting either extended magazines on them or a drum on them now, so they have more capacity,” said St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway.
On Saturday, police said a suspect fired at an officer with a 9 mm handgun with a 50-round drum attached to it.
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“Very disturbing a guy out here with that kind of firepower,” said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. “He hasn’t been out of state prison a month and he’s already got a glock 9 millimeter with a 50 round drum and he’s trying to kill a cop.”
Police also arrested an 18-year-old over the weekend for carrying a firearm with a 30-round extended magazine.
Chief Holloway said it’s concerning when criminals have more firepower than his officers.
“Law enforcement, we don’t carry extended magazines and we don’t carry those things. I tend to worry more about the officers that work for me and I tend to care about the people in the community because now you’re bringing more fire to the street,” he said.
“The question is, what were they doing with these firearms?” Ryan G. Thomas, the owner of Tampa Carry wondered.
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Thomas teaches gun owners how to carry responsibly. He argues the issue is about holding criminals accountable, not what’s available on the market.
“Criminals do bad, evil stuff, and if we as a nation are failing to prosecute these people, they’re going to continue to do bad, evil things,” said Thomas.
It is legal in Florida to purchase extended magazines, however all laws must be followed, and you must be able to legally carry a gun.
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