Cannibal Corpse’s Pat O’Brien Had 50 Shotguns, AK-47 Variants, Uzi-Style Rifles and Thousands of Rounds of Ammunition in His Home
A new report in the Tampa Bay Times reveals that Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O’Brien had over 80 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his home at the time it caught fire last week, according to court documents the paper was able to obtain. He also reportedly phoned relatives warning about “the rapture” and told them that “aliens have landed” just hours before the series of incidents that landed him in jail.
O’Brien’s home in Northdale, FL caught fire last Monday, December 10th. While firefighters were putting out the blaze — they initially had to retreat because of all the exploding ammunition inside — O’Brien fled on foot to another home in the neighborhood and entered without permission, pushing a woman to the ground, warning about “the rapture” and hiding behind a fence outside before eventually being subdued with a taser and arrested by police (after allegedly coming at an officer with a knife). O’Brien has not (yet) been charged in the blaze, but he was charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. He was released from jail on Friday, December 14th on $50,000 bond; newly uncovered court documents show that an initial requirement that he pass a drug test for his release was later removed.
A search warrant obtained by the Times shows that the day after the fire subsided, fire marshals found “about 50 shotguns — including one with a barrel illegally sawed off to about an inch past the stock — 10 semiautomatic rifles including a couple of AK-47 variants, two Uzi-style rifles and 20 handguns” in O’Brien’s home. All that in addition to the two military-style flamethrowers O’Brien had, which we first learned of last week. O’Brien was also hoarding thousands of rounds of ammunition, “stored in boxes, military-style metal cans and even ammunition belts — several other weapons and weapons’ parts,” and, curiously, three skulls (the report doesn’t specify what kind of skulls).
With the exception of the sawed-off shotgun, none of the weapons or ammunition O’Brien had are illegal in Florida, although the warrant doesn’t specify whether O’Brien had proper paperwork for them.
Cannibal Corpse have yet to comment on the incident, but Deana Mazurkiewicz, wife of drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz, is overseeing a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds on O’Brien’s behalf. In an accompanying statement, Ms. Mazurkiewicz urged fans “not jump to conclusions [regarding the circumstances of his arrest] until the full details of what occurred come out.” The campaign has raised over $20,000 so far of its stated $60,000 goal.
Cannibal Corpse were recently announced as an opening act for the 2019 North American leg of Slayer’s farewell tour.
[via Metal Injection]
