A 28-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly carried a loaded rifle and ammunition into Abbotsford International Airport over the weekend.
Police said the Chilliwack resident walked into the airport Sunday afternoon with an SKS rifle in a bag over his shoulder and approached a car rental kiosk.
Some kind of argument ensued, and security staff discretely called police to the terminal, where they managed to locate the man in a bathroom.
“Carrying a rifle, a loaded rifle around in an international airport – I can’t think of too many countries where that sort of thing would be permitted if you weren’t engaged in law enforcement or the armed forces,” Const. Ian MacDonald told CTV News. “Certainly there are laws prohibiting that in Canada.”
The suspect cooperated when approached by police and was arrested without incident, MacDonald added.
But officers were stunned to find that not only was the man’s rifle loaded, he was also carrying additional rounds of ammunition.
On Monday, the Crown approved several charges against suspect James Kreitewolf.
Court records show Kreitewolf is charged with possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, storing a firearm contrary to regulations, possessing a firearm without licence or registration, causing a disturbance and cocaine possession.
Police haven’t said what the motivation may have been for bringing a loaded weapon into the airport, or whether anything threatening was said during the argument with rental company employees.
“Our understanding is that [the suspect] was not entirely pleased while dealing with the staff at the rental car kiosk,” MacDonald said.
Police said Kreitewolf doesn’t appear to have been booked on any flights on Sunday, but he was a customer of the rental company.
The airport was never fully closed during the tense incident, but police did lock the building's front doors during the arrest, MacDonald said.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Sheila Scott and The Canadian Press
