(KTLA) – Los Angeles police officers seized several high-capacity weapons from a man accused of making criminal threats Tuesday, averting what authorities believe could have been a mass shooting in the planning stages.
Police say Braxton Johnson, 24, was arrested in Hollywood after officers responded to a report of a man with possible mental illness acting erratically.
Braxton was arrested on a complaint of making criminal threats, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
A search warrant was then served at the Lumina Hollywood apartment complex, where officers recovered several “high-powered rifles, shotguns, handguns and a large cache of various munitions,” per a news release.
“The suspect was located on the 18th floor of an apartment building with large windows with a view, with a non-obstructed view of a public park, downstairs, and some of the rifles were pointed outside of the windows,” said LAPD Lt. Leon Tsap.
Lt. Tsap also said it was likely that police — along with the citizens who reported the suspect’s behavior — “prevented a mass shooting from happening.”
Photos shared by the LAPD showed several weapons which had been seized, including a rifle with a scope and a set of camouflage body armor.
Johnson recently moved into the apartment from out of town, according to police.
Authorities also said Johnson had been threatening people outside the location. Police credited vigilant neighbors for speaking up about the 24-year-old, preventing what they believe could have been a mass attack.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will review the case to determine if charges will be formally filed.
No additional details were made available by police.