HESSTON , Kan., Feb. 27 (UPI) — A Kansas woman was charged with giving weapons to Cedric Ford, the gunman who was responsible for the mass shooting at a lawn mower parts plant on Thursday.
Ford’s ex-girlfriend, Sarah Jo Hopkins, 28, was charged on Friday with transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person. An affidavit states that she transferred a Zastava Serbia AK-47 and a Glock Model 22 .40-caliber handgun to Ford while knowing he was a convicted felon.
The weapons were the same ones used when Ford shot 17 people at Excel industries before being killed in a shootout with police on Thursday.
Hopkins told the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives she bought the guns at a pawn shop in 2014 and kept them at a home she and Ford shared for a period of time. She then moved out of the shared residence in July 2015 and left the guns with Ford, despite being aware of his criminal history.
She was able to get the weapons back with police help, but returned them to Ford in August 2015 after he threatened her.
Hopkins could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted.
