An armed man was arrested outside former President Trump’s Coachella Rally Saturday after the Riverside County Sheriffs Department says he was in possession of two loaded firearms and stopped before he could enter the event. Tracey Leong reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2024.
A Las Vegas man was arrested Saturday for illegally possessing a pair of firearms near Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
Law enforcement said deputies assigned to the former president’s rally contact a driver in an SUV at a checkpoint near the intersection of Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive. There, officials found that the man was illegally in possession of a handgun, a shotgun and a high-capacity magazine.
That man, who was later identified as 49-year-old Vem Miller, was taken into custody at the John J. Benoit Detention Center.
“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the sheriff’s department said.
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No injuries or shots fired were reported in connection with the incident.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Miller was traveling in an unregistered vehicle and had multiple passports and identification cards with various names on them. He added that the suspect claimed he was a journalist and was granted VIP access to the rally.
Additionally, Miller identified himself as a sovereign citizen.
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In a statement, Secret Service Spokeswoman Soraya Sutherlin said the agency is aware of the incident.
The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the Riverside County Sheriff's Office arrest Saturday. The incident did not impact protective operations. The Secret Service extends its gratitude to the deputies and local partners who assisted in safeguarding last night's events
The arrest comes after two thwarted assassination attempts on the former president. In July, shots were fired during a rally for Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where one spectator was killed. In September, a man was arrested after he allegedly planned to kill the presidential candidate while he was at his golf course in Florida.
