A teenager from Ohio was arrested after being found with an unloaded semi-automatic rifle and ammunition in a bag while at a busy midtown subway station, law enforcement officials tell News 4.
The man, identified by several law enforcement sources as Saadiq Teague, was apprehended by officers at the subway station in Times Square around 12:45 p.m. Friday near the A/C/E line, the officials said.
A pair of NYPD officers performing a station inspection spotted Teague as he took the unloaded weapon out of his bag and placed it on the ground, in plain sight. The officers approached and questioned him before taking him into custody, the officials said.
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Police Commissioner Dermot Shea later tweeted a photo of the firearm that police found with the suspect, identifying it as an AK-47. Teague was charged with four counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia.
The MTA called it a "troubling situation," adding that "anything like that in our system is unacceptable."
Investigators were working to determine why the 18-year-old was there and what his intentions were, but the officers did find a loaded magazine clip in his possession, the official said. Senior law enforcement officials said Teague was visiting the city with a friend, who later went to the transit station to figure out why Teague was taken into custody.
Upon searching the hotel room where the teen was staying, police found marijuana and a bong, law enforcement sources said. Teague was carrying some sort of gas mask in his bag when he was arrested, law enforcement said, and officials are investigating whether it was actually a device that can be connected to the bong to increase the high from smoking.
Videos posted on Teague's Instagram showed the teen walking around the city, with the gun sticking out the top of his backpack. He also filmed himself walking on the street shouting "I wanna go back to Columbus," and what appeared to be him and someone else bothering people asleep on the subway. The pair threw water on one man laying down sleeping, and slapping another snoozing straphanger.
The officials told News 4 that Teague said he was from Ohio and he was the legal owner of the weapon.
Three senior law enforcement officials said Teague is the son of Andrew Teague, who was killed in a wild police chase and shootout on an Ohio highway in March. His father had been wanted for an alleged assault in February.
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Investigators were speaking with authorities in Ohio to determine why the younger Teague traveled to the city with the rifle and ammunition.
An FBI spokeswoman said they are aware of the gun arrest and were looking into the matter.
An investigation is ongoing.
