Gun purchase waiting periods and other laws reduce youth gun deaths
Certain gun laws, including safe storage and mandatory waiting periods, reduce firearm-related suicides among youth.
Sheriff’s officials are asking the public’s help in tracking down an assault rifle believed to have fallen out of a patrol vehicle in South Los Angeles over the weekend.
The Colt M4 was discovered missing on Saturday night, according to be missing Saturday night, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“The rifle had been stored in the trunk of their patrol vehicle and is believed to have fallen out during transit,” the agency said in an written statement. “The rifle was secured inside a black, hard-shelled storage case, which also contained five magazines, each loaded with 30 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition.”
Authorities suspected the firearm was lost between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., as the deputies were responding to a call for service.
The route they traveled spanned about 4 miles, heading north on Normandie Avenue, west on Imperial Highway, north on Hawthorne Boulevard and then west on 104th Street to Inglewood Avenue.
Deputies immediately retraced their journey and searched the area after discovering the rifle was missing, but the weapon was not found, officials said. Investigators were working to gather footage from area surveillance cameras in hopes of generating clues.
“We are notifying the public in the interest of transparency and community safety, and to seek assistance in locating the missing Department-issued rifle,” the statement said. Neighboring law enforcement agencies were also informed of the situation.
The department also launched an internal review of the incident, “including an evaluation of whether policies and procedures were followed, to identify areas for improvement and prevent future incidents from occurring,” the statement added.
Anyone with information was urged to contact the Sheriff’s South Los Angeles Station at (323) 820-6700. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.