Gun found in Sandusky River

FREMONT - A lowered Sandusky River continues to yield surprises, as a group of residents found a gun previously submerged by the river's receding waters.

Sheriff Chris Hilton said deputies got a call about the gun Friday evening.

The city started notching the Ballville Dam Sept. 13, a key step toward the eventual demolition of the 104-year-old dam scheduled for 2018.

Since that notching began, a hodgepodge of items including a pickup truck, bowling ball and now a pistol have been spotted by local residents as they walk around the shallow river near the dam.

According to a SCSO incident report, David Schwartz, 14, of Fremont contacted police after he and other residents found the gun wrapped in two plastic grocery bags in the water by S. River Road near Buckland Avenue.

The bags contained a Star SA 9 mm semiautomatic pistol with heavy rust.

The pistol was checked through LEADS (Law Enforcement Automated Data System) and came back with nothing on file, according to the report.

In an email, Schwartz said he and his friend, were down at the rock ledge by the South River Road Pull-Off messing around in the mud when two other teenagers came down Friday night.

Schwartz said he and the teenagers started talking, with one of the teens telling him that he thought he found a gun.

Hilton said the sheriff's office took the gun to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Toledo branch to try and determine ownership of the weapon.

Notching work on the dam should be done by next week, Safety-Service Director Kenneth Frost said Friday.

dacarson@gannett.com
419-334-1046
Twitter: @DanielCarson7