Man sentenced after caught with rifle and explosives when heading to gay pride
James Howell told police he was heading to West Hollywood gay pride, hours after the Pulse nightclub shooting
By Steve Brown
A man who told police he was headed to a California gay pride was found with a loaded rifle and explosives in his car has been sentenced.
James Howell – who is allegedly gay – was stopped by police in Indiana back in 2016 and was found to be carrying a loaded AR-15 rifle and magazines rigged to fire shots in quick succession.
He was also found to have 15 pounds of chemicals mixed and ready to explode and when stopped, he told police he was heading to a gay pride event in West Hollywood.
Howell was stopped just hours after 49 people were killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting.
The LA County district attorney’s office say he pleaded no contest to weapons and explosives charges.
Howell was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.