Authorities say a loaded handgun of the same caliber as the one used to shoot up the front doors of Oxford Middle School over Thanksgiving break was found inside the glove compartment of a 19-year-old man’s vehicle during a Dec. 7 traffic stop.
The driver was arrested and is currently being lodged in the Oakland County Jail.
Warrants are pending at this time.
Oakland County Sheriff’s investigators stopped the suspect, who was driving a 2003 Chevy Impala, on Laurel Leah, a street in the Lake Villa Manufactured Home Community. Investigators were in the process of attempting to locate and interview the suspect in connection with the OMS shooting when they pulled him over.
Investigators noticed a strong odor of marijuana emanating from his vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said the suspect admitted to having marijuana in his pocket. ‘A small amount? of the drug was found, according to Det. Shane Freiberg. He was arrested and his vehicle was impounded and searched.
The suspect is supposedly homeless and living out of his vehicle. His last known address was in Oxford.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect told investigators he had a loaded .380 caliber semiautomatic Hi-Point handgun inside his glove compartment, which was locked. Authorities said the gun, which is being processed by the sheriff’s crime lab, is not registered to the suspect and he did not have a permit for the concealed weapon.
According to Freiberg, it appears the gun’s owner is a Waterford man.
‘I’m pretty sure it’s going to come back as stolen,? the detective said. ‘I’m almost positive it is, but not 100 percent. The owner said that (he) never sold the gun.?
Freiberg said the Waterford man reported a different gun as stolen in October 2014. The detective speculated the .380 Hi-Point ‘was probably stolen at the same time,? but the owner ‘didn’t realize that it was missing until obviously today.?
He said the suspect claims ‘he bought it off a guy, who bought it off a guy, who bought it off the guy from Waterford.?
The gun is the exact type of weapon investigators were looking for in connection with the Nov. 27 OMS shooting.
The shooting damaged the building’s north and east entrances. Multiple gunshots resulted in shattered glass, bullet holes and damage to window and door frames. The damage was discovered by a custodian on Nov. 27.
No students or staff members were inside the school at the time of the shooting.