Concord man buys assault rifle found in woods by 9-year-old, police say

CONCORD, N.C. — A 9-year-old girl sold an assault rifle to a man who was on probation after she found the gun behind a Concord apartment complex, according to police.

The incident happened Dec. 19 on Patrick Henry Drive.

Police said three children found three guns stashed in the woods. They said the guns were wrapped in a blanket and left in a family-friendly area that's near a playground, apartments, homes and even a school.

"The guns were actually bigger than the two kids I seen holding it," said assistant property manager Hope Drayton, who works at the apartment complex.

Drayton said the children started playing with the assault rifles when they stumbled across them in the woods.

When a 9-year-old girl started walking back to her parent's apartment with the unloaded guns, police said she was stopped by Paul Dukes Jr., who asked to buy one of the assault rifles for $20.

"For an adult man to attempt to buy a gun from children and let the children walk away with the gun, other two guns, is definitely an issue," Drayton said.

The two other guns didn't make it far. Drayton said she snatched them when she spotted the children carrying them past her office.

"I actually jumped up and asked them what is that in the blanket, then I proceeded to get the blanket from them and brought it into the office," she said.

When police rushed in, they found Dukes and the assault rifle that had just been sold. Officers said the 27-year-old also had a sawed off shotgun inside his parents' apartment.

According to officers, Dukes said he found the shotgun three weeks ago in Greensboro.

State records showed that Dukes was on probation in connection to an assault case, so he would not have been allowed to have any guns.

"Because I acted so quickly, he didn't have a chance to leave with it," Drayton said.

Dukes’ father told Channel 9 his son bought the assault rifle, because he thought it was a BB gun.

According to police, two of the guns that were found in the woods have been reported stolen from someone's home in Statesville. Investigators still don't where the third gun came from.

Officers still don't know who placed the guns in the woods and they are trying to figure out if the weapons are connected to any crimes.

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