Good morning lizards!

Yesterday I went into town to run some errands and do some grocery shopping. About an hour after I left Kroger this guy showed up.

Man Walks into Hydraulic Road Kroger with Loaded Rifle

A man who witnesses say walked into a Kroger grocery store in Charlottesville armed with a loaded semi-automatic rifle will not face any criminal charges. Police say he did nothing illegal, but it created quite a scare.

Police responded to the call at the Kroger store on Emmet Street and Hydraulic Road shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday.

Witnesses and Kroger employees called 911 after a man walked into the store with a loaded AR-15. Police say a 22-year-old man had initially walked into the Kroger store unarmed, and then went back to his car to grab his rifle. He then briefly entered the store again before turning around and walking back out.

Monica Green, a witness, said she thought something was wrong when she saw people crowding at the front of the store. When she heard there was a man with a gun in the store, she ran out the door and called 911.

“At first it seemed like the police didn’t believe me,” said Green. “I was like ‘No, no they told me it was someone with a gun and to get out of the store.’ And so no sooner than I got in my car, the police had came up and had their guns drawn on a man with an assault rifle.”

Police restrained the man to ask him questions. They released him after they confirmed he is not a convicted felon, owned the gun legally and it was not concealed. Police say he was cooperative and did not break any laws.

As far as why the man brought the rifle into the store, Charlottesville police say they believe he was demonstrating his 2nd amendment rights based on his behavior.

Kroger managers have banned him from the property.