Still-missing Poway teen had ghost-gun assault rifle, body armor: Deputies

It was a tense day for neighbors in Poway. Sheriff’s deputies have been looking for an 18-year-old man, accused of firing shots from a military style rifle in his neighborhood then running off. A short time ago, deputies told NBC 7 they’ve located him. But he’s not yet in custody. NBC7’s Dave Summers shows us how the afternoon unfolded.

San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies, who are still searching for a teen who allegedly fired a burst from an assault rifle behind a home in Poway on Tuesday, released more information about the case the day after the incident.

Several callers reported Cameron Johnson, 18, firing multiple rounds in a field near Hidden Valley Drive and Birch Lane around 1 p.m., according to deputies. The field is near where Johnson’s grandmother lives, investigators said.

On Wednesday, deputies said that they found the gun in nearby brush after the shooting, and that it was later determined to be an unserialized weapon, more commonly known as a ghost gun. They also said they had searched the teen’s home — which is also in Poway; it’s not clear if he lives with his grandmother or just lives nearby — and found body armor and ghost-gun parts as well.

Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter joined in the search Tuesday for Johnson, who was last seen wearing what deputies described as military fatigues and a white-and-tan hat. Officials did not believe he was armed since they had custody of the rifle and stated that they believed there was no longer a threat to public safety.

Deputies stated around 10 p.m. that they saw Johnson return to the field behind the home, but by 4 a.m., law enforcement had cleared the scene and said they would be conducting a “follow-up investigation.”

As of Wednesday, Johnson is still being sought by investigators, who said he ran into an area of “dense vegetation” when deputies arrived on Tuesday.

A sheriff’s sergeant told NBC 7 that deputies have responded to complaints at this address in the past, though the official did not detail the nature of those calls; however, the sergeant did say the calls did not involve the discharge of weapons.