RICHMOND, CA—When authorities showed up to a home here recently, they expected to confiscate a limited number of weapons belonging to a 68-year-old man who allegedly threatened hospital workers and later brought a loaded firearm to a medical visit. The gun had been seen in his waistband during an examination, authorities said.
They instead discovered a huge arsenal at the East Richmond Heights home of Lawrence R. Hansen, according to new court records. Inside, police found one million rounds of ammunition, more than 250 guns — including at least 60 assault rifles — as well as silencers and homemade explosives, authorities say.
The basement of the residence, which public records show is on Doremus Avenue and not far from churches and a preschool, had its own shooting range, where it appeared weapons were fired from close range at phone books and dictionaries, authorities said.
Hansen is now in custody at Martinez Detention Facility and faces 21 weapons-related charges following his arraignment on Monday.
Last year, a judge had ordered Hansen to surrender all his weapons as a result of a workplace violence restraining order a local doctor filed in Contra Costa court against him. Prosecutors say he had threatened medical workers even before bringing a loaded firearm to a hospital in September.
Hansen was arrested on Jan. 31 by a task force that included the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms, but released days after the raid because the large cache of weapons and ammo could not be properly inventoried within the time authorities are allowed to hold someone under state law.
Richmond police arrested him again on Sunday on a warrant, jail records show.
Investigators were still working this week to evaluate all the evidence, including testing homemade explosives allegedly found in Hansen’s home. In addition to dozens of assault rifles, police also removed several machine guns, some dating back to World War II and the Vietnam War, authorities said.
Prosecutors have charged him with 18 felonies — most related to possessing assault weapons — and three misdemeanors, including a concealed weapon charge for allegedly carrying the gun he brought to the hospital last fall.
He has pleaded not guilty, is being held in jail on no bail and is next scheduled to appear in court on March 27.
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