A man armed with a rifle emblazoned with phrases from Batman villain “The Joker” is facing felony firearms charges after he was seen running into traffic near the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, sheriff’s officials said.
Shawn Steiner, 36, of Glendale, Ariz., was charged this month with possession of an assault weapon, possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, possession of a large-capacity magazine and carrying a loaded gun in public, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records. Steiner has not yet filed a petition and could not be reached for comment.
His lawyer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Wednesday.
Steiner was arrested on March 29 when Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Palos Verdes Drive South after someone called to report that a man was running into traffic. According to the Sheriff’s Department, Steiner was also seen walking through nearby trails wearing a bulletproof vest and gloves and armed with several weapons.
At the time of Steiner’s arrest, deputies confiscated a loaded “Joker-style” rifle that was painted green and purple and bearing the phrases “Why so serious?” And it says “Let’s bring a smile to that face”. The tip of the gun was painted orange, resembling a toy gun, the Sheriff’s Department Wrote in a Facebook post giving details of the arrest.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Steiner told deputies that he had fired one of his guns near the landslide area to “let out some anger.”
The Sheriff’s Department said Steiner had two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines, additional ammunition and a ballistic vest capable of stopping rifle bullets. He also had a duffel bag and a step stool.
