Mississippi police apprehended a man driving a maroon pickup truck on Wednesday, the same truck that soldiers saw pass by around the same time they heard what they believe were gunshots while participating in a training exercise around the fringes of Camp Shelby, Miss. on Tuesday.
The soldiers at the camp and authorities believe that 61-year-old Alfred Baria Sr. attacked the military members when he allegedly opened fire near the base, but Baria Sr. claims that the noises they heard were the backfiring of his battered Isuzu truck.
The claim is backed by his son Alfred Baria Jr., who says that his father's pickup backfires loudly every time the driver shifts gear and steps on the gas, according to the Associated Press.
Nonetheless, Baria Sr. is currently under police custody, facing charges not only for misdemeanor for disrupting the peace, but two felony counts as well. Police found guns inside his house, and Baria Sr. is prohibited from having them due to a previous felony conviction, according to FOX News.
The National Commission on the Future of the Army had its annual field training exercises at Camp Shelby on Tuesday, with about 4,600 soldiers and 500 active-duty National Guard soldiers taking part, HNGN previously reported.
