Bullet-proof vests, 1,000 rounds of ammunition and several types of weapons, including high-powered rifles, were seized from a Hollywood apartment in an investigation that stemmed from a threat reported by the building's security team, authorities said Wednesday.
Security guards called Los Angeles police after they said one of the tenants in the high-rise apartment at Gordon Avenue near Sunset Boulevard threatened a security team member at the front door. After executing a search warrant at the 18th-floor unit, authorities found two bullet proof vests and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers for all the different weapons, according to Capt. Raymond Valois.
Some of the weapons are illegal, police said.
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"Hollywood patrol officers responded to a possible male with mental illness call," the LAP said in a statement. "During the course of their investigation, it was determined the elements of Criminal Threats had been met.
"During the execution of a search warrant, several high-powered rifles, shotguns, handguns and a large cache of various munitions were recovered."
A man identified as 24-year-old Braxton Johnson was arrested on suspicion of criminal threats. He is being questioned by detectives as to why he had all of those weapons, some of them illegal and none of them registered.
Details about an initial court date and whether Johnson has an attorney were not immediately available.
"Based on the location of the weapons, the type of weapons and what I have been told by investigators, that these officers and I absolutely believe they prevented a mass shooting type of event," Valois said. "I think it was simple, a matter of time before something may have occurred that this suspect may have started shooting out of his apartment and cause considerable mayhem, something similar to what happened in Las Vegas."
Valois said the view from that apartment with floor to ceiling windows included Hollywood Boulevard, the iconic Capitol Records Building and the 101 Freeway. He said the bolt action rifle seized could easily reach a half a mile if fired.
Detectives are still interviewing Johnson and there is no confirmation about whether the federal government is involved.
The security guard who alerted police is shaken up and not on-call. Another security guard did tell NBC4 that the man in custody had just moved into the building.
