Man Jailed For Taking Arsenal Of Weapons Near Elementary School

A Claiborne Parish man is behind bars after officers discovered him in possession of numerous firearms near a Shreveport elementary school.

Over the past several days, law enforcement officials had received intelligence regarding a male subject identified as 50 year old John Wiese allegedly making threats toward police officers. Information received indicated the Wiese was heavily armed.  At approximately 8:56 a.m. this morning, John Wiese called Shreveport Police dispatch and requested a patrol supervisor meet him in the 700 block of Thora Boulevard but refused to give any more information.

Several patrol officers responded to the call and they ultimately located Wiese standing outside of a vehicle parked there on Thora Boulevard.  There were numerous long guns and a handgun prominently displayed on the closed trunk of the car and officers, not knowing what his intentions might be, immediately secured Weise.  Upon further investigation, patrolmen discovered that Wiese possessed the firearms within 1,000 feet of South Highlands Elementary Magnet School in violation of Louisiana state law.

Authorities seized a bolt action .308 rifle, a semi-automatic .308 rifle, two semi-automatic .22 rifles, a .460 magnum revolver, a .45 semi-automatic pistol, a 12 gauge pump shotgun, and a crossbow as evidence in this case.  Approximately 500 rounds of ammunition were recovered and seized as well.  Wiese advised officers that he had been involved in an ongoing dispute with a man who lived on Thora Boulevard and he had come to that location to bring attention to that dispute.  Nothing uncovered by officers indicates there was any threat directed to the elementary school or the students there.  Wiese, of the 200 block of Pleasure Point Road in Homer, Louisiana was booked into the Shreveport City Jail on one count of carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon in a firearm-free zone.