Can he get his weapons back?
On Halloween, police seized a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition from a Kitchener residence. Days later, people on Facebook were curious about the original story posted by CTV — wondering if the collector could get his guns back.
According to thegunblog.ca, the average cost of a rifle in Canada is $556; these 250 guns could be worth around $139,000. The cost of ammunition, according to Cabela’s Canada, could be around $129,900 if each bullet goes for $0.65. The value of the grenade is unclear.
Jordan Donich, a criminal lawyer and founder of Donich Law in Toronto, said the owner of these weapons may or may not be able to get his guns back.
“If they are generally charged with careless storage of a firearm or if they have prohibited weapons — as a general rule you don’t get your guns back unless if you beat the charges,” Donich said in a phone interview.
“Even if you get off without a record — with a discharge, usually you will lose your guns because the court or the police, you know, won’t trust you again … you might get them back if you’re acquitted or the charges are withdrawn.”
A 57 y/o male has been charged with unsafe storage after 250 firearms, 200,000 rounds of ammo & grenade were seized from a Kitchener home by our Drugs & Firearms unit, & ERU team last wk. The invest is ongoing & further charges are anticipated. Details: https://t.co/CDmkZ6m0H1 pic.twitter.com/nILmwXHNfD
— Waterloo Regional Police (@WRPSToday) November 4, 2019
On Halloween, the Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS) executed a search warrant on Strathcona Crescent in Kitchener, Ont. Police seized 250 guns, 200,000 rounds of ammunition and a non-active grenade from a 57-year-old Kitchener man.
The weapons did not have trigger locks and were not stored safely, police said. The RCMP has rules for storing non-restricted guns, on top of prohibited guns. Owners of non-restricted and prohibited guns must put a lock on the gun or remove the bolt, so it cannot be fired. Or owners must keep the guns locked in a container or room that is difficult to break into.
“Had a break and enter occurred, those guns could have potentially reached the streets,” said Const. Ashley Dietrich, a public information officer for the WRPS in an article from CTV News.
Police are reminding residents to store weapons in a secure location and to store all ammunition and guns separately. They are also reminding gun owners to place trigger locks over any firearms.
The man was charged with unsafe storage. The investigation is ongoing and further firearms-related charges are anticipated.
Police are also looking into how the man obtained the guns and grenade in the first place.
