A man has been arrested after police say he had an AR-15 sticking out of his backpack at a popular Cobb County mall on Thanksgiving night.

Channel 2 Action News reported that 23-year-old Lecarl Weems also opened the bag at Cumberland Mall and showed the gun to a shopper who asked about it. Weems was later found with a magazine clip with ammunition in his backpack as well, police said.

The shopper mentioned it to a custodian, who reported it to security, the news station reported. Police got involved and found the man inside the DTLR store in the mall.

Weems was charged with carrying a weapon without a valid license, according to Channel 2.

Georgia law states that it is illegal to carry a gun in public without a license. Cumberland Mall also has a rule against guns on the property.

When officers asked Weems why he had the rifle, a police report stated he said it was for his own protection, Channel 2 reported.

“Weems also mentioned that he decided to carry the rifle in his backpack because he did not want to cause chaos inside of the mall,” the report stated.

In other news:

Luckily, no one was injured.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Cox Enterprises CEO Alex Taylor and AJC Publisher Andrew Morse were joined by AJC editors and Atlanta business react during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Midtown on Friday, January 24, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo