Calgary police have charged four men after seizing two firearms during a traffic stop over the weekend.
Police said they received a report just before 11 a.m. on Saturday that four men had been spotted with riffles at a Mac’s convenience store located in Applewood Park. The men were observed getting into a dark-coloured Honda Civic and leaving the area.
Officers with the Gang Suppression Team then launched a high-risk traffic stop on the vehicle in the 1700 block of Stoney Trail S.E. at around 12:30 p.m.
Police said a search of the vehicle revealed an SKS rifle loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, which was found inside in a guitar case, in addition to a loaded, sawed-off pistol grip rifle with a .22 round in the chamber, found inside a backpack.
In a Wednesday news conference, Staff Sgt. Mark Hatchette said the SKS seized was of particular concern because it can be used to inflict “maximum damage on multiple people.”
It was loaded with 7.62 mm rounds.
“7.62 rounds will go through any police vest that we wear, so it was very troubling for us,” Hatchette added.
“So there were two vehicles in the Mac’s parking lot, according to witnesses. We located one of the vehicles, the other vehicle we did not locate. What we’re looking for is assistance from the public to give us that information so we can take further guns of this type off the street.”
Hatchette said officers with the Gang Suppression Team stopped the suspect vehicle while monitoring a funeral for Rinato Toy.
Toy was shot to death in broad daylight at an outdoor basketball court in Forest Lawn on Saturday, June 3. He had recently had manslaughter charges against him dropped in connection with a deadly stabbing at the Calgary Stampede in July 2015.
Following the traffic stop and gun seizure, police have charged Joseph Wol, 50, Achol Jal, 20, Tong Mawiir Tong, 21, and Achuil Chol, 30, with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of unauthorized weapon, hazardous storage of a firearm and prohibited firearm with ammunition.
All four were known to police.
Additionally, Tong been charged in relation to six outstanding warrants.
Chol has also been charged with three counts of possession of a weapon contrary to an order.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or contact Crime Stoppers.