Handgun Seized By Police After Gunshots Fired In Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, CT — An 18-year-old man was arrested on weapons charges Tuesday night, after Bridgeport police said the suspect fired several gunshots in the 1000 block of Park Avenue.

Giovanni Gonzalez was charged with the following after the 11:55 p.m. incident:

• Carrying a pistol without a permit
• Theft of a firearm
• Possession of a large capacity magazine
• Interfering with an officer
• Unlawful discharge of a firearm

Bridgeport police were alerted about the gunshots by a ShotSpotter activation and a call from a person who heard the five rounds that were fired.

"Upon arrival, officers canvassed the area and observed freshly pressed shoe prints in the snow, despite active snowfall," wrote Tiadora Josef, the city's director of Public Information, in a statement. "Officers tracked the footprints, which led them to the backyard of a residence in the 100 block of Herkimer Street. There, officers located an 18-year-old male, later identified as Giovanni Gonzalez, hiding."

Officers were able to backtrack the footprints and find a Sig Sauer P226 firearm equipped with a 20-round 9mm high-capacity magazine, which was seized by police.

Gonzalez is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.