But the man who apparently produced the noises told authorities Wednesday after he was arrested that it only his battered pickup backfiring.
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Baria’s son, Alfred Baria Jr., told The Associated Press that his father’s old truck frequently backfires and that the guns later found at Baria’s home were actually owned by Baria Jr.
The sheriff contacted the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation for help tracking the shooter, he said.
Wednesday’s arrest eased some tension at one military installation that has tightened security after a gunman opened fire in July on two military centers in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Jade Helm 15 is the subject of a particularly wild conspiracy theory popularized by the fringe and far right alleging that the federal government is planning an armed takeover of various states and localities – land that the government already occupies.
The worries began Tuesday morning when soldiers performing traffic control for a training exercise involving 4,600 national guard and army troops heard what they thought were shots from a maroon pickup driving down a road on Camp Shelby’s southern edge. “There was no confirmation of actual gunshots”, Michel said.
Photos from the scene show officers going through the truck. Authorities say they are looking for two white males who allegedly fired from the vehicle and fled in the vehicle.
“The soldiers at Camp Shelby and across the state can and should take appropriate steps to defend themselves as necessary”, Bryant said.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation took him into custody at gunpoint, with officials calling a bomb squad into sparsely populated Perry County east of Hattiesburg to investigate plastic pipes and other items they found in the truck. And those pipes? Two big, long ones were for plumbing a newly built auto fix shop in the backyard, Alfred Baria Jr. said.Barria admitted being the driver of the truck, Smith said. Baria was previously convicted on drug charges, Smith said.
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This summer’s training focuses on teaching troops how to operate on the platoon level – generally about 30 soldiers to a group, although that can vary.
