An AR-15-style rifle was fished out of Lake Quinsigamond on Monday, Aug. 25, by a person who was “magnet fishing,” police say.
SHREWSBURY — An AR-15-style rifle was fished out of Lake Quinsigamond on Monday, Aug. 25, by a person who was “magnet fishing,” police say.
Magnet fishing is a hobby that involves using a strong magnet attached to a rope to retrieve metal objects from bodies of water.
The person fishing contacted police around 11:45 a.m., Shrewsbury Police Lt. Nicholas Perna said. Shortly after, police took custody of the rifle, Perna added.
“The incident remains under investigation and I cannot provide any further details at this time,” said Perna, who did not respond to further inquiries. Authorities did not detail where in the lake the AR-15 was found.
In 2015, there was a weapons heist at the Lincoln W. Stoddard U.S. Army Reserve Center on the Worcester side of the lake. A man broke into the armory and stole 16 weapons.
James W. Morales snagged six M-4 rifles and 10 Sig Sauer M11 9 mm pistols after breaking in through a kitchen window, then using a power saw and pry tool to cut a hole in the roof of the gun vault.
In 2017, Morales pleaded guilty to eight charges, which included counts connecting him to botched bank robberies.
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, Lake Quinsigamond saw action again on the Shrewsbury side when a good Samaritan came to the assistance of a driver whose SUV entered the body of water near a boat ramp.
Shrewsbury police said a bystander had helped the driver exit a 2021 Hyundai Palisade that was submerged in the water and was attached to a trailer carrying a boat, before it became fully submerged into the lake.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: AR-15-style rifle caught by ‘magnet fisher’ at Lake Quinsigamond