A gunman was arrested in Westwood on Friday night, after university police officers responded to reports of a shooting at Broxton and Le Conte avenues, and subsequently shot the gunman with a Taser before bringing him into custody.
The gunman, 52-year-old Gene Carlton Bush, was apprehended by university police officers at 11:52 p.m., only four minutes after they received the dispatch call notifying them of the threat, said Kevin Kilgore, the officer who apprehended Bush.
After Bush was apprehended by Kilgore, who shot him with a Taser, university police found five semi-automatic pistols and 400 rounds on Bush, as well as timers and paint thinners. Another 7,800 rounds were found in Bush’s van and 3,000 in his storage unit.
He was found wearing a holster and standing empty handed, and it was later discovered that he had shot at traffic light and a nearby building.
Bush’s initial court date and his bail have now been set, said Nancy Greenstein, a police spokeswoman.
His bail is set at $1 million, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Inmate Information Center Web site.
Kilgore confirmed the bail amount.
Bush is being held at Twin Towers Correctional Facility, in Los Angeles, until his next court appearance and is next due to Los Angeles Municipal Court on Sept. 24 at 8:30 a.m.
Kilgore used a Taser in “cartridge mode,” allowing him to shoot Bush from 10 feet away and therefore take Bush into custody, he said.
“The Taser was used in cartridge mode ““ when you pull the trigger it has two prongs that pull out and then stick into the skin or the clothing, and then it sends an electric shock through the body,” said Kilgore.
He shot Bush with the taser to prevent as much potential injury as possible.
“We want to ensure everyone’s safety and that includes the person that we’re dealing with, and not only does (a Taser) minimize danger to the person we’re dealing with, but to the public around us,” Kilgore said.
Tasers are useful because they cause the muscles of the victim to tense up, and the victim is therefore unable to move his muscles, Kilgore said.
He said Tasers are vital instruments for university police.
“(Bush) was speaking when we found him, and his hands were in front of him, but we couldn’t take the chance that he wouldn’t reach for one of the guns,” he said.
Quite a few people were around during the time of Bush’s arrest, Greenstein said.
“The Taser was really significant in handling (this arrest),” she said.
“It was Westwood on Friday night at 11 o’clock ““ there were a lot of people around.”
Many questions still exist regarding Bush’s arrest, as the events are still under investigation, Kilgore said.
Bush’s motive is still unclear, and it is currently unknown how he came into possession of so many weapons and ammunition.
“We don’t know why he picked Westwood,” Greenstein told The Bruin after the shooting.
But it now seems that 52-year-old Bush ““ who was found to have no criminal history ““ may be a regular visitor to Westwood.
The owner of Habibi Cafe, located at 923 Broxton Ave., told KNBC Los Angeles that Bush painted a mural in Habibi.
“Apparently (Habibi) had paid him to do odd jobs there like paint,” Greenstein said.
“They were a number of the witnesses,” she added.
The owner could not be reached for comment.
Bush was allegedly making anti-government statements and fired shots near UCLA’s campus and near the cafe, though no one was hurt in the shooting.
He will plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest for committing a felony, Kilgore said.
“If he pleads not guilty, then a trial could take place,” he said.
A court appearance could help to answer some questions, Greenstein said.