Man arrested at Missouri Capitol after bringing gun ‘to show’ Gov. Parson, police say
A man was arrested Tuesday morning after he allegedly tried to bring a gun into the Missouri Capitol to show Gov. Mike Parson, according to a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
Alok Kumar Rohra, 36, tried to enter the security checkpoint at the state Capitol’s south entrance with a black duffel bag around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. He told an officer the bag contained a gun that he “wanted to show to the Governor,” according to spokesperson Mike O’Connell.
An officer told Rohra he could not bring the bag into the building and was told to return to his vehicle.
Rohra returned to the checkpoint minutes later, where an officer interviewed him and discovered he was a convicted felon, said O’Connell. Missouri Capitol Police officers searched Rohra’s car with his consent. They found a black duffel bag with an semi-automatic pistol and 79 rounds of ammunition.
Rohra was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and taken to the Cole County Jail. Court records show that Rohra pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Wednesday afternoon. A judge found him to be a danger to the community and did not grant him bond.
He awaits a bond review hearing scheduled for Monday.
Rohra, according to O’Connell, has ties to St. Louis and Oklahoma.
