LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A man staying with his family at Disney World brought an AR-15 and a 9mm handgun to the resort where they were staying because of concerns about recent protests in the area.
That's according to a newly-released report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
In the report, a deputy said they responded to Disney's Polynesian Resort after a report about a found firearm. According to the deputy, who spoke with a bellman at the resort, the 43-year-old tourist checked into the hotel on Sept. 5 with the AR-15 in a tennis bag.
The man was not arrested or charged.
The bellman told deputies as he was loading the tennis bag, he noticed it was heavy to lift. When he unzipped it, he saw a black AR-15 inside. He told deputies he couldn't determine if it was loaded or unloaded.
The bellman then notified his manager, who called the sheriff's office.
When deputies spoke with the man, he told them he and his family drove up from Palm Beach Gardens to spend a couple of days at Disney. He told deputies the AR-15 is his and said he brought it with him for his family's safety "because of the riots and civil unrest going on down south and in the Central Florida area," the report states.
The man said he also brought with him a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun in his backpack.
In addition to the guns, the man told deputies he also brought three rifle magazines with 30 rounds each and two Sig Sauer magazines with 10 rounds each.
The sheriff's office confirmed the firearms belonged to the man and that he has a valid concealed weapons permit.
Disney stored the man's guns for the remainder of his stay. Disney policy prohibits guests from bringing firearms, ammunition or any weapons to its hotels.
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