Posted on 09/26/2007 5:05:40 PM PDT by peggybac
NEW YORK -- A St. John's University freshman was arrested on the Queens campus with a rifle and President Bush, police said Wednesday.
Police sources said the suspect, Omesh Hiraman, 22, told police that he was acting alone and walked across campus with the gun. Hiraman did not give any reason why, police said.
St. John's University was locked down and classes were cancelled as a result.
A campus security officer, a student and an NYPD cadet taking courses at Queens’s campus tackled Hiraman.
Police said the NYPD cadet, Christopher Benson, was sitting on a bench on campus when he saw Hiraman walking by, wearing the Bush mask and carrying the rifle in a black garbage bag.
Police said Benson followed Hiraman until he saw a campus security officer. Benson then tacked Hiraman, and security managed to get the gun away, police said.
Police sources said Hiraman was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, camouflage pants, and the mask.
Campus-security video shows the Hiraman was on campus for a short time before being captured.
Nobody was hurt in the incident but the campus went into lockdown in mid afternoon as students furiously sent text messages to each other and their parents about the gunman, law enforcement sources said.
Hiraman had been carrying the weapon in a bag, according to a posting on the St. John's University website. Police sources said the gun was a front-loading, .40-or .50-caliber Wolf rifle.
Police want to know whether Hiraman was on any medications, according to a law enforcement source, and whether he had stopped taking them.
Police said Hiraman was wearing a costume mask that appeared to be of President Bush. Officials said he cut the mask off below the eyes.
Police launched a massive response, sending in heavily armed emergency service units and flying a police helicopter overhead the campus of the Catholic University on Union Turnpike in Jamaica, Queens.
St. John's had recently upgraded its security and communications systems and was sending warning messages about the gunman at 2:30 p.m.
The St. John's University Web site issued this advisory:
"A male with a rifle in a bag was apprehended on St. John's Queens campus today. Public Safety officers quickly disarmed the suspect and have turned him over to NYPD. Additional information will be forthcoming as it becomes available."
Wednesday afternoon, a press release from St. John's read: "At this time, the NYPD has a heavy presence on the Queens campus and are conducting an extensive and thorough search of all buildings and facilities. Students have been instructed to stay inside their classrooms and buildings until further notice."
Investigators searched Hirman’s parents’ East Elmhurst home Wednesday and found a case that the gun was kept in and black powder residue.
It’s unclear if the weapon was loaded or in working order.
Hiraman was questioned by police at the 107th Precinct in Queens. There is no word yet on any charges.
He had a rifle and president Bush?
Wow..that’s a neat trick.
This is two...
They’re trying to frighten the college kids and get them to begin protesting the war.
A good sign we’re winning in Iraq...
22 year old freshman. Must be a late bloomer, or maybe he’s been locked up for some time.
***Hiraman had been carrying the weapon in a bag, according to a posting on the St. John’s University website. Police sources said the gun was a front-loading, .40-or .50-caliber Wolf rifle. ***
A muzzle loader.
So what did President Bush have to say about it? Or maybe was it a Bush mask?
What is a wolf 40 cal rifle?
BOTH are illegal in the eyes of the Left.
A muzzle loader, you can order those out of a magazine, not that it makes them any less lethal, it just takes a while to reload.
Must be a liberal school. I bet he wouldn't have been arrested if he had Ted Kennedy with him instead.
Sounds like an assault rifle. Probably an automatic, as well - as in it would automatically discharge if it was loaded, primed, and the trigger was pulled.
You can bet the news writer is clueless. I was thinking a black powder rifle or the Italian "lupira", which is a coach type shotgun.
Omesh? That sounds Swedish, right?
I saw this story posted a little while ago. The “50 cal. Wolff blackpodwer rifle”.........was said to be the one pictured on the CBS affiliates web site showed a modern 50 cal. semi auto rifle.
Got it wrong again! The best I’ve heard of was a year or two ago where the firearm was described as being “A semi automatic revolver”
Google “semi-automatic revolver”, there have been a couple.
i have a 50 cal assault. but it is from WW 1 (TURKEY )
Think the modern version of Davey Crockett or Daniel Boone. The Wolf is an affordable, modern cap and ball rifle available from BassPro and Cabela’s as well as some WalMart and Meijers chain stores.
(Larger picture at link below)
This one is a .50 cal, and goes for $149.99 at Scott Outdoor Sports
It's not legally (for federal purposes) a firearm, so the usual "gun control" laws don't apply. You can order it shipped direct to your home, just like you could any other firearm before 1968 (other than machine guns).
From Guyana I think
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