Federal agents say they found a dumpster filled with 250 cut-up firearms near a gun store. Here's how the government requires guns to be destroyed.
ATF
- Federal agents late last month found hundreds of rifles and shotguns in a dumpster in Oklahoma City.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is now investigating the owner for improperly disposing of the weapons.
- Here's a guide — based on ATF procedures — on how to properly dispose of unwanted guns.
Federal agents are investigating an Oklahoma gun store owner who appeared to have tossed hundreds of guns into a dumpster.
Court records said on January 19 an Oklahoma City sanitation worker found nearly 250 guns inside a dumpster located near the International Firearm Corporation, which is owned by Anthony Mussatto, Insider's Azmi Haroun reported.
The worker then reported it to the authorities, who investigated and counted 236 rifles and 12 shotguns. Now, federal agents are looking into whether Mussatto improperly disposed of the weapons. (Mussatto did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.)
Investigators in late 2022 said Mussatto asked agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms — the federal law enforcement agency tasked with investigating and overseeing the use of firearms and explosives, among other areas— to destroy the weapons, citing a manufacturer's defect.
There are, however, very specific ways to dispose of unwanted guns, according to a guide published online by the AFT.
One option is to cut a gun with a torch in at least three places. These cuts must be made at angles "and completely sever the receiver in at least 3 critical locations," the guide says. And the critical locations vary by gun model, according to the ATF.
The guide also specifies that some gun types or models might need more than three cuts. Individuals who want to dispose of a gun can also consult with their local AFT field office.
After Mussatto contacted the ATF, he received instructions to slice the faulty guns in three different areas, according to a search warrant dated January 26.
Investigators who examined the guns in the dumpster wrote that there was a "single cut through one side of the magazine-well that extended up to the ejection port."
Investigators also said Mussatto had consulted with his local ATF field office, but the guns were "partially cut" and "still functional."
A spokesperson for the ATF declined to comment, saying the agency does not "discuss details relating to any active investigation."
In their investigation, the agents also spoke with two men who told them that they had seen the dumpster loaded with guns on separate occasions, months before the January incident.
Mike Keenum, one of the men near the store, told agents that a teen employee had been cutting the weapons outside the store multiple days a week.
Insider's Azmi Haroun contributed to this report.