James Wesley Howell, who was arrested with weapons and explosive materials in car he drove from Indiana, told police he was headed to gay pride event in LA

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

An Indiana man has been charged with felony weapons violations after California authorities say he was found with three assault rifles and explosive chemicals in his car before a major gay pride parade.

James Wesley Howell, 20, made his first appearance in Los Angeles County superior court, where a lawyer entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to charges of possessing an assault weapon, possessing a destructive device on a public street, and importing or manufacturing a large magazine.

Howell was also charged with a misdemeanor count of possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

LA gay pride parade: man detained with arsenal of weapons before event Read more

If convicted of all the charges, prosecutors say Howell could face up to nine years and eight months in prison.



Authorities have said previously that there appeared to be no connection with the massacre at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando but mobilised scores of law enforcement officers to protect the parade.

A judge set bail at $2m, saying Howell poses “a significant public safety danger”.



Police say Howell was arrested on Sunday in Santa Monica with the weapons and explosive materials in a car he apparently drove from Indiana.

Howell told police he was headed to a gay pride event in West Hollywood that attracts hundreds of thousands of people.

It’s unclear whether Howell intended any violence at the LA pride event, but the timing of the arrest hours after the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando put police and event organizers on heightened alert.

Federal agents searched Howell’s Jefferson, Indiana, home on Monday after obtaining a search warrant, Indianapolis FBI office spokeswoman Wendy Osborne said.

Osborne and an Indianapolis US attorney’s office spokesman, Tim Horty, said they could not give any details on the search.

A message seeking comment from Howell’s Kentucky attorney was not immediately returned on Tuesday. Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles, said the federal investigation is ongoing.

Howell was not allowed to have weapons or leave Indiana because he was serving a year of probation following an April conviction in his home state on a misdemeanor intimidation charge.

Court records in Indiana and friends depict Howell as a gun enthusiast with a quick temper.

Twice within four days last October he was accused of pulling a gun and making threats. The first incident involved Howell’s then boyfriend and the second a neighbor, identified in police records as Jeremy Hebert.

Howell was charged with intimidation in the case involving Hebert, a conviction that led to his yearlong probation and weapons prohibition.