MERAUX, La. (WGNO) — The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of 21-year-old Jonathan Gooden after he allegedly fired a weapon multiple time in a residential neighborhood and then hid it inside a child’s playpen.
Deputies responded to the incident on Friday at approximately 8:15 p.m. near the 2900 block of East St. Bernard Highway in Meraux, La.
Sheriff James Pohlman said the New Orleans native was booked with illegal discharge of a firearm.
Gooden was identified through eyewitness accounts and nearby video surveillance.
Several spent, full metal jacket hollow point casings were found at the scene, and detectives also recovered the gun, a Draco AK47 semi-automatic assault rifle, hidden under toys in a child’s playpen inside the home of Gooden’s relative in the 2000 block of Munster Boulevard also in Meraux
Gooden admitted to detectives he fired the gun because he wanted to see what it sounded like.
Sheriff Pohlmann said no one was injured in the incident.
The investigation is ongoing.