Man with shotgun and loaded handgun arrested near Trump rally in California

LOS ANGELES – A man found illegally in possession of shotgun and a loaded handgun was arrested by sheriff’s deputies assigned to protect a Donald Trump rally in Coachella, California, the Riverside County sheriff’s office announced on Oct 13.

The Secret Service said that it was aware of the arrest, and that neither Trump nor rally attendees had not been in any danger during the incident, which took place on Oct 12.

“While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing,” the organisation tasked with protecting presidents and presidential candidates said in a joint statement with the FBI and the US Attorney’s office.

The sheriff’s team said the man, which it identified as 49-year-old Vem Miller of Las Vegas, was later released on bail and faces a court hearing on Jan 2.

They added that the deputies manning a checkpoint near the rally arrested Miller as he drove up in a black SUV.

They later booked him at a local detention centre on charges of possessing a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine.

The incident comes on the heels of two assassination attempts – one in Pennsylvania in which a bullet grazed Trump’s ear, and a second,

aborted attempt at his Florida golf course

.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco – a Trump supporter who also addressed the Republican’s rally in Coachella on Oct 12 – said that there was “absolutely no way that any of us are going to truly know what was in his head”.

Sheriff Bianco said the man had “multiple” passports and IDs with different names in his vehicle, which was unregistered. He said any further charges would come from the federal authorities.

There was no immediate comment from the Trump campaign.

Trump’s decision to hold a rally in California surprised political analysts, who note that the state is heavily Democratic, but he drew a large crowd, even in temperatures near 38 deg C.

Coachella is known for its annual music festival. AFP