Mayor: ‘Heavily Armed’ Man Arrested Going To LA Gay Pride Event

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Photo: Pond5

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 12 (UPI) — A “heavily armed” man who said he was headed to the Los Angeles Pride festival was arrested in Santa Monica, Calif., LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Garcetti said the suspect was arrested Sunday after a tip from a citizen.

Police were called about man who was knocking on doors and “loitering in the area,” Santa Monica Police spokesman Saul Rodriguez said.

Police encountered a man who said he waiting for a friend. Upon inspection of the man’s white Acura with Indiana plates, they found weapons that included one assault rifle, ammunition and tennerite, which could be used to make a pipe bomb.

The told police he was in town for the pride event in West Hollywood this weekend.

But Rodriguez said police “were not aware of what the suspect’s intentions were at this point.”

Officials were beefing up security at the gay pride event, which started at 10:45 a.m.

The arrest has no connection to the Orlando nightclub mass shooting earlier Sunday morning, authorities said.

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