19-year-old arrested after police find semi-automatic rifle, 60 rounds of ammunition in car

WASHINGTON - A 19-year old was arrested in Shaw late Thursday night for possession of an illegal firearm.

The backstory:

It was just after 11 p.m. on April 24 when officers noticed a black Honda Civic idling in a no-parking zone. 

The windows are pretty heavily tinted so they could not see if anyone was inside. They decided to hand out a citation for the car being illegally parked and tint violations. 

What they discovered next was alarming.

Behind the driver's seat on the floorboard was a semi-automatic rifle containing 60 rounds of ammunition. What makes it even more concerning is that the driver of the vehicle was just 19.

Local perspective:

"Definitely not something a 19-year-old should have," a neighbor, Emilio Bermonty, told FOX 5. "It’s very concerning, very concerning, especially for someone of that age not mature enough to have something like that." 

Cameron Gould of Gwyn Oak, Md. twice denied that there was a firearm in the vehicle. But after police noticed an open bottle of alcohol, they saw the weapon and immediately took Gould into custody.

He told officers he had just bought it. Neighbors told FOX 5 it is a safe neighborhood and there is no room for this kind of weapon.

"I’m from Texas. I’ve seen a lot of guns in my time and that’s pretty serious. I don’t think a lot of people in the city need something like that at any given point ever," neighbor Michael Polk said. "In any neighborhood I’d be concerned about that. This neighborhood, next one over, in my neighborhood back home. I don’t like to see something like that out and about especially a teenager's hand." 

"I don’t believe that automatic rifles should be handled by a civilian. I’m not sure even that it should be handled by military personnel. Just a really aggressive piece of machinery that doesn’t have much place in a town like this," said Nadia Lishcke.

What we know:

Gould is facing four weapons charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and is also being charged for open bottle of alcoholic beverage. 

FOX 5 reached out to Gould’s mother, but she refused to speak with us.