An 18-year-old man toting an AK-47 semi-assault weapon around the Times Square Station Friday afternoon was taken into custody for questioning, police said.
The man, whose name was not released, was seen “in plain view” with the weapon on the mezzanine area near the A/C/E lines by patrolling NYPD officers, a police spokesperson said. He was taken into custody without incident.
The weapon was unloaded but police found a magazine clip on the man as well. The man was not a New York resident, according to the NYPD, but could not immediately confirm news reports that he was from Ohio or that he had a gas mask with him.
The man reportedly told police he believed it was legal to carry an unloaded rifle with separate ammunition in New York City, according to news reports.
New York City has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, and the state's SAFE Act requires assault weapons to be registered.
