Regulation enforcement officers have introduced a wealth of expenses in opposition to a 34-year-old man from Fort Lauderdale, Florida after he, allegedly, left a suitcase filled with weapons in Newark-Penn Station and carried different weapons — together with, what officers referred to as a “booby-trapped rifle” — onto a practice earlier than being arrested in Trenton, New Jersey.
On Wednesday, legislation enforcement officers in New Jersey introduced that Jefferey O. Kennerk, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, can be charged with aggravated assault, endangering others, a number of weapon expenses and different offenses after being arrested on the Trenton Transit Heart on Jan. 3, 2025.
On the time of his arrest, officers stated, a booby-trapped rifle fired on the transit middle because it was being confiscated by officers.
“This defendant allegedly hauled a small arsenal of deadly weapons and ammunition through busy transit stations, and on a train filled with passengers,” stated New Jersey Lawyer Normal Matthew Platkin in a press release on Kennerk’s arrest. “He allegedly left a suitcase containing assorted weapons and ammunition – including an assault rifle – in the concourse of Newark-Penn Station, where anyone could have been harmed by them. If not for the outstanding police work done in this matter, we can only imagine where this defendant and these weapons would have ended up.”
In keeping with court docket paperwork, the investigation into Kennerk’s actions started at about 2:55 p.m. on Jan. 3, 2025, when a New Jersey Transit officer at Newark-Penn Station, in Newark, seen an unattended black-and-white zebra print suitcase left unattended close to a McDonald’s restaurant an an entrance to the Newark subway system.
An investigation, officers stated, revealed that the suitcase contained a loaded handgun together with an assault rifle-style journal loaded with rifle rounds, a plastic again containing a t-shirt and 4 containers of bullets for each the handgun and a rifle.
In a secondary compartment within the suitcase, officers stated, officers discovered an AK-47-style rifle loaded with one spherical together with extra magazines loaded with ammunition.
In a evaluation of safety footage, officers noticed a person — now believed to have been Kennerk — stroll away from the zebra print suitcase to purchase a practice ticket at an Amtrak ticket window.
Officers, court docket paperwork notice, realized the practice that Kennerk received on — which was headed to Virginia — after shopping for a ticket would cease on the Trenton Transit Heart subsequent.
Nonetheless, Kennerk was subsequent confronted by law enforcement officials who received onto the practice when it arrived in Trenton, officers stated, he confirmed them a ticket for a special Amtrak practice and claimed he had boarded the incorrect practice.
These officers eliminated Kennerk from the practice and suggested him to attend on the station for the right practice, which was anticipated to depart the station throughout the subsequent hour, officers stated.
Nonetheless the officers quickly realized that Kennerk was wanted the suitcase was left in Newark they usually approached him as soon as once more, apprehending him simply earlier than he was about to hop onto a special practice, in response to police.
In a search of a suitcase that was on Kennerk on the time of his arrest, officers stated, officers recovered “multiple weapons” together with an AR-15-stlye rifle, extra ammunition and a number of hand weapons.
Police officers stated the officers additionally recovered, what they referred to as, a “booby-trapped rifle.”
“While conducting the search of the bag, police allegedly removed a separate rifle that was loaded with .300 AAC Blackout ammunition. While removing that rifle from the suitcase, multiple handkerchiefs were observed wrapped around the trigger guard,” New Jersey officers stated in a press release on Kennerk’s expenses. “The officer placed the muzzle into the suitcase pointed at the ground and attempted to remove one of the handkerchiefs to render it safe, at which time the firearm discharged without the officer engaging the trigger, indicating that the gun was allegedly booby-trapped.”
Additionally, officers stated, police discovered 4 weapon “silencers” and hole level ammunition for each of the rifles that have been recovered.
“The indictment of this individual underscores the severe threat posed by those who amass illegal weapons with blatant disregard for public safety,” stated Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police in a press release. “The swift and coordinated efforts of law enforcement prevented a potentially catastrophic event. By seizing these illegal firearms—including assault rifles, large-capacity magazines, silencers, and a booby-trapped rifle that discharged—officers averted a tragedy. Our unwavering commitment remains: to protect our communities and ensure that individuals who jeopardize public safety are held accountable.”
Officers stated an investigation on this case remains to be ongoing.
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