(Port Authority of New York and New Jersey)
Two men and a woman were arrested Tuesday morning after a cache of loaded guns and 2,000 rounds of ammo were found when their truck was stopped by Port Authority police at the Holland Tunnel in New Jersey, authorities say.
The suspects, who are from Pennsylvania, have not been identified. The men are in their 50s and the woman is in her 20s and all three are white, NBC New York reports. The tunnel connects New Jersey and New York City.
One of the suspects has been identified as 50-year-old John Cramsey, a Pennsylvania gun store owner who has made it his mission to rescue drug addicts after his daughter overdosed on heroin on February 21.
The trio was driving a large Dodge truck with the stickers for “Higher Ground Tactical” on the front and sides. You can see the truck below:
This is vehicle from PA heading to NYC stopped @ #HollandTunnel by @PANYNJ with cache of weapons inside. @NBCNewYork
The logos on the truck appear to be those of Higher Ground Tactical, an Emmaus, Pennsylvania, gun range owned by Cramsey.
According to NBC New York one of the suspects told investigators they were driving to Queens to try to save a heroin-addicted friend who was being held against her will. Police said they were looking for the woman in Queens, the news station reports. Cramsey had posted on Facebook early Tuesday morning about his planned mission to save a girl from a Brooklyn hotel.
Police said they seized a shotgun, an AR-15 style rifle and handguns, along with goggles, tactical gear, ammunition and knives. An ammo-box labelled “Shoot your local heroin dealer” and a bag with the label “firearms instructor” were also in the vehicle, photos released by the Port Authority show. Other tactical gear had the word “police” written on it. One of the gun magazines seized had the word “America” on it and another said “United We Stand.”
“They may be self-styled vigilantes,” source told the New York Daily News. Police said the guns were “locked and loaded.”
(Port Authority of New York and New Jersey)
The arrests are not believed to be terror-related, though the New York Police Counterterrorism Unit tweeted that they are monitoring the situation.
Police said an astute officer stopped the truck after noticing a crack in its windshield. He then saw a magazine for a gun, according to police.
(Getty)
The suspects were still being interviewed by police Tuesday afternoon and it is not clear what charges they could face. It is also not known if the guns were legally registered in Pennsylvania.
The traffic stop occurred about 7:40 a.m.
Read more about Cramsey at the link below:
