(The following is an update to a previous story published, Jan. 9)
According to Lt. Tim Hein of Keizer Police, Detective Brad Hans has taken lead on the case and has apparently identified who the weapons belonged to.
An SMI cleaning crew found a combination of 22 handguns, shotguns and rifles abandoned in a foreclosed Keizer apartment on Jan. 5.
The cleaning crew reported the weapons to Keizer Police who have been in possession of them as they attempt to locate the owner.
The identity of the individual is still being withheld due to the current open status of the investigation, though no contact information, next of kin or forwarding address have been found in order to contact the weapons owners.
For now, the firearms are being considered abandoned and, provided nobody claims them will be destroyed per state law.
For the time being, according to Hans’ report, the weapons will be test fired and the casings will be sent to be cataloged by the Integrated Ballistics Identification System, (IBIS) a national database that analyzes bullets and casings and compares them to evidence found at crime scenes.
The casings will also be sent for analysis to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN), a network managed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to ensure that none of the held weapons were involved in a crime.
Hein stated that the time it will take to test fire and send out the casings for analysis is not known.
(This story will be updated as more information becomes available)
Contact Keizertimes Staff:
[email protected] or 503-390-1051
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