Posted on 03/29/2016 6:11:04 PM PDT by SJackson
APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — The FBI on Tuesday continued to investigate an incident in which 17 men were detained for reportedly firing off hundreds of rounds in a remote part of Apple Valley.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies and an FBI agent responded to the scene Sunday morning and detained the men – reportedly all of Middle Eastern descent – who were camping out in the Deep Creek Hot Springs area Sunday morning, authorities said.
A 911 caller reported hearing over 100 shots fired and seeing five to seven men wearing turbans and shooting “assault rifles, handguns, and shotguns,” according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.
A county sheriff’s helicopter located the men walking near a creek with backpacks “and other items”, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Officials say the men were cooperative as they were detained and searched.
Several handguns, a rifle, and a shotgun were found at the scene, but a records check found all the weapons were registered with the exception of the rifle, which reportedly didn’t have a serial number because it was purchased in parts, an FBI spokesperson told The Times.
Police scanner traffic posted online by the Victor Valley News Group described “a large group of subjects wearing turbans and chanting” at the scene.
“They were up all night chanting ‘Allah akbar’-type stuff,” an unidentified officer is heard saying on the audio recording.
None of the hikers interviewed by Sheriff’s investigators say they witnessed any shots being fired, according to Sheriff’s officials.
A photo of the arrests showing several men handcuffed at the scene was posted by the Victor Valley News Group but was not immediately confirmed by authorities.
All 17 men were eventually released because Sheriff’s investigators say they had no outstanding warrants or criminal histories. All but one of the guns was registered.
“There was no evidence found that a crime had been committed by any of the subjects who were detained and they were released,” a Sheriff’s spokesperson said.
The FBI will conduct further interviews with the men to determine if any crimes were committed.
Nearby residents said they were concerned by the activity.
“If there’s something going on wouldn’t you want your local police or law enforcement to take care of it so that citizens like you or myself don’t have to ate it into their own hands?” said a resident, APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — The FBI on Tuesday continued to investigate an incident in which 17 men were detained for reportedly firing off hundreds of rounds in a remote part of Apple Valley.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies and an FBI agent responded to the scene Sunday morning and detained the men – reportedly all of Middle Eastern descent – who were camping out in the Deep Creek Hot Springs area Sunday morning, authorities said.
A 911 caller reported hearing over 100 shots fired and seeing five to seven men wearing turbans and shooting “assault rifles, handguns, and shotguns,” according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.
A county sheriff’s helicopter located the men walking near a creek with backpacks “and other items”, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Officials say the men were cooperative as they were detained and searched.
Several handguns, a rifle, and a shotgun were found at the scene, but a records check found all the weapons were registered with the exception of the rifle, which reportedly didn’t have a serial number because it was purchased in parts, an FBI spokesperson told The Times.
Police scanner traffic posted online by the Victor Valley News Group described “a large group of subjects wearing turbans and chanting” at the scene.
“They were up all night chanting ‘Allah akbar’-type stuff,” an unidentified officer is heard saying on the audio recording.
None of the hikers interviewed by Sheriff’s investigators say they witnessed any shots being fired, according to Sheriff’s officials.
A photo of the arrests showing several men handcuffed at the scene was posted by the Victor Valley News Group but was not immediately confirmed by authorities.
All 17 men were eventually released because Sheriff’s investigators say they had no outstanding warrants or criminal histories. All but one of the guns was registered.
“There was no evidence found that a crime had been committed by any of the subjects who were detained and they were released,” a Sheriff’s spokesperson said.
The FBI will conduct further interviews with the men to determine if any crimes were committed.
Nearby residents said they were concerned by the activity.
“If there’s something going on wouldn’t you want your local police or law enforcement to take care of it so that citizens like you or myself don’t have to ate it into their own hands?” said a resident.
The problem with some of those descriptions is this.
You could have a campground at your back 100 yards away, and still be safe shooting in the opposite direction, so a few miles is not specific enough.
Call me rather skeptical, but parts of that area are just simply desert. Day use? Seems to me that’s kind of a stretch. “Hey, we’ll tell you what public lands you can use and when.” I’ll bet locals are out there goofing off all the time at night.
The chanting of Islamic things is problematic. I think that’s enough to call attention to these folks and roust them for information and identification, so I’m not entirely defending these guys.
I’ve also seen government types blow things way out of proportion at times. Some of this seems to lean in that direction.
If this were any other group, I’d pretty much suggest they should cut them some slack. With this group, I wouldn’t.
I think was bothers me is the flimsy excuses they use. Just call it a problematic group and be done with it. Don’t bring up 1938 spitting on the sidewalk type of justifications.
Yes. And this is 50 miles from San Bernadino. Investigated by the San Bernadino Sheriff.
I doubt and still doubt the photos posted, the entire Adelanto police department responding to something in Apple Valley? Not on light on and neatly parked to a shots fired call?
As for the Muslims, plenty in the area. Would not surprise me if there was training going on.
Good thing they didn’t have them swastikas, rebel flags, horses, Harley Davidson motorcycles, etc.
Just your ordinary turban wearing, alhu-akbar chanting guys.
San Bernardino County is massive in size, going from Claremont CA to the Nevada border. This would likely be handled by the Barstow office.
Were they celebrating Easter and Purim?
Not sure why Adelanto cops were there. Perhaps an arrangement with the San Bernardino sheriff who must be spread pretty thin over their giant county.
However the camp ground was closer to Victorville which must have a much larger police force. Why didn't they respond?
UPDATE - there are no Victorville cops, they contract the sheriff.
Another issue that should be mentioned is that a lot of inner city folks have moved up to that area. So there’s a crime problem up there too.
The Old Jihadi’s Almanac
— April 2016 —
Jihad Probability
(1 through 5 crescents)
1st - 7th: 1 crescent
8th - 11th: 3 crescents
12th - 18th: 1 crescent
19th - 21st: 5 crescents
22nd - 30th: 4.5 crescents
Plenty of people go out to the remote areas of the high desert to go shooting. Nothing unusual about that. The description as Middle Eastern and wearing “turbans” is definitely an outlier for the typical shooter in that area.
Another update to the above - there are no Apple Valley cops either. They contract the Sheriff.
Not sure why little Adalento has it’s own police force though.
Wrong! This incident would be handled by the Victorville
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Station.
Thanks for your comments. Yes, people go out to remote places and fire their weapons. There are places like that in regions around Southern California.
This was also a night-time situation. Who knows? You get a bunch of rednecks out there at night, and they may be yelling out all sorts of things. You never know if this is really problematic, or if some good old boys were out there cutting it up in a group.
There may be reports out there that eliminate this possibility, just tossing it out there.
Yeah I’m guessing southern California is a little different than where I’m at and would be treated much differently if there was a bunch of shooting at night :)
The coverage is unreliable. The site CBS cites is a day use area, a series of hot springs. Shouldn’t be there, if you are should have the common sense not to discharge firearms, which I doubt is legal. Bet the local high school kids know that. But you’re right, they could have been outside of the day use area. And could have been sure of their impact area. At night. I agree the chanting of Allau Akbar is an issue. But if they fired 100 rounds, that’s an issue too, even in a rural area. I hear a round or two, it’s a varmint biting the dust, or a poacher. Five or six, my mind is working, dozens, I’m calling the sheriff. We’ll see what happens.
I’d defer to you on that, going by the article. Obviously something must have interested the FBI
Yes I was wrong. I took the news report of Ademnto cops to be correct.
Adalento is simply a Sheriff's substation just like Victorville. I'm sure they would just dispatch the least busy local sheriffs to the camp ground.
From wiki -
Until 2001, Adelanto had its own police department, which was disbanded due to massive corruption, but now contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for police services. The Adelanto Substation is located on US Highway 395 and Bartlett Avenue. The station provides full service law enforcement for the City of Adelanto, and unincorporated areas of the Victor Valley such as Phelan, Lucerne Valley, and Spring Valley Lake. The former regional station (next to the Victorville Courthouse) serving unincorporated areas of the Victor Valley was consolidated into the Adelanto Station in 2009. Until 1999, fire protection was provided by the city's own fire department. The city now contracts with the San Bernardino County Fire Department. There are two stations located within the city limits providing paramedic service as well as fire and rescue services. Ambulance and patient transportation is provided by American Medical Response.
When you say training I think Jamaat ul-Fuqra, the Pakistani non terror terror group with a number of camps in the US. There appears to be a camp in Oak Hill, CA, in the neighborhood.
Old thread Seeking Freepers for Jihadi Training Camp Observation and Information They'd have the sense to confine their firing to their land, and not likely at night
You are correct; at this point in time, the MSM would never cover this story. That is why I despise them.
Crush islam
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.