A schoolboy has found a stash of guns and thousands of bullets in Manchester with a metal detector.
The 14-year-old was out hunting for scrap metal near his home in Crumpsall when he discovered the haul which included four shotguns, a semi-automatic rifle, and ‘thousands of bullets.’ The guns were wrapped in black bin bags buried under wasteland off Bowker Vale Avenue.
Police are currently forensically testing the weapons and ammunition to discover if they could have been used in previous shootings.
The dad of the schoolboy – who asked not to be identified – told the Manchester Evening News of his shock after his son found the firearms along with around ‘15,000 bullets’ at around 4 pm on Saturday afternoon.
“There were thousands and thousands of bullets,” the teen’s father, who asked to remain unidentified out of fear of retaliation, told the Manchester Evening News. “My son phoned me up and said he’d found some bullets. I thought he meant old lead bullets that you can get some scrap money for.”
“When I went to pick him up I couldn’t believe what was in the bags. At first I thought they were sledge hammers or baseball bats. I took it all home, then I saw the guns. I started panicking and just called the police. It was pretty scary. My son helped take those guns off the street so a gang didn’t get hold of them,” the father continued.
According to reports, the discovery was made in Crumpsall, a suburb in Greater Manchester, England. Police quickly arrived at the scene after receiving a call from the teen’s father. The weapons and ammunition were seized and an investigation was launched.
Det. Inspector Chris Flint with the Greater Manchester Police said:
“At this stage of our investigation, we cannot say where these guns have come from or their intended purpose. They have been recovered for forensic analysis and the results will play a key part in our investigation.”
“It is important to stress that from our initial inquiries we’ve established the guns have been there some time and cannot be used or reactivated. I therefore want to reassure people living and working in this community that there is no threat or risk to anyone from these weapons,” Flint added.
According to Opposing Views, folks online shared their thoughts on the story on the Manchester Evening News Facebook page.
“Good on you kid, you did right by handing it all in!” one reader commented. “Don’t suppose you’ll get a reward for finding the things but VERY well done to you!”
“Amazes me people can be scared and horrified of inanimate firearms and ammo buried in the ground,” another user wrote. “A product of a successful fear campaign about guns by Hollywood and government. It’s a phobia. I’ve got a lot more than 15000 rds and I have no plans of readying for some combat action. Ammo is cheaper when you buy in bulk. It’s just the cost effective thing to do.”
“Least they are found an off the streets!” another reader added.
Sources: OpposingViews, Manchester Evening News, Manchester Evening News/Facebook
