Wenliang Sun, a University of Central Florida student from China, had worried his roommate after changing his look and behavior and purchasing two semiautomatic rifles is to be deported for a visa issue, according to campus police.
“We know that in today’s world that a person in distress who owns a high-powered firearm, we just cannot ignore that,” UCF police Chief Richard Beary said, according to a CNN report. “We have a duty and an obligation to make sure our people are safe.”
After what Beary called many red flags, he believes they may have stopped something disastrous from happening. When authorities attempted to notify Sun of his changing immigration status, he was at a gun range practicing with one of his rifles.
Police have noted that Sun never made any threats or attempts to harm anyone. The change in his immigration status reportedly comes from not attending classes while under a student visa as an international student.
Some of the behavior mentioned by Sun’s roommate to be out of the ordinary included dying his hair blond, refusing to leave his room, becoming increasingly uncommunicative and buying a nearly $70,000 car with cash.
CNN also reported that Sun didn’t purchase his second rifle until after police had already paid him their first visit. Police were unable to remove the guns because they were bought legally, but once Sun’s immigration status changed, they were able to take him into custody.
