Indian-American held for flashing gun at gay pride parade in US
Tuesday, 11/06/2019
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
WASHINGTON: An Indian-American was arrested in the US for threatening a person with a BB gun and causing a stampede during an LGBTQ pride parade here, leaving several people injured as hundreds of participants fled in panic fearing a mass shooter.
Aftabjit Singh, 38, pulled out the gun after another person allegedly threatened his “significant other”, police said.
The police arrested him and a BB gun, a type of air gun designed to shoot metallic ball projectiles, was recovered from his bag. Singh has been charged with the illegal possession of a BB gun, carrying a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct. He is due in court on Monday.
Chaotic scene was seen in downtown Washington DC Saturday after word spread among the thousands of participants of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) pride parade that someone was carrying a gun.
The city police on Sunday said Singh pulled the BB gun after another person allegedly threatened his significant other. The alert police immediately arrested him. “It was later determined that the gun was not a real handgun, but an imitation pistol that Singh identified as a BB gun,” the news report said.
