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Dmitriy Andreychenko faces up to four years in prison Greene County Sheriff via AP

Man (20) walks into Walmart armed with guns to 'test his right to bear arms'

Dmitriy Andreychenko’s wife Angelice had told him it wasn’t a good idea.

CHARGES HAVE BEEN filed against a 20-year-old man for terrorism offences, after he walked into a Walmart store in the US to test whether it would honour his right to bear arms. 

Dmitriy Andreychenko sparked panic at the shop in Springfield, Missouri, on Thursday afternoon just a few days after 22 people were killed in an attack at the Walmart in El Paso, Texas.

He walked through the shop armed with a rifle that had a loaded magazine in it, with a loaded handgun at his right hip. 

No shots were fired and Andreychenko was arrested after he was stopped by an armed off-duty firefighter at the store.

“Missouri protects the right of people to open carry a firearm, but that does not allow an individual to act in a reckless and criminal manner endangering other citizens,” Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson said.

Patterson compared the man’s actions to “falsely shouting fire in a theatre causing a panic.”

“I wanted to know if Walmart honoured the Second Amendment,” Andreychenko was reported to have said in the statement outlining the charges against him.

If convicted, the felony charge of making a terrorist threat in the second degree is punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Andreychenko said he bought the rifle and body armor because of three recent shootings and a stabbing, and said he wanted to protect himself.

His wife, Angelice Andreychenko, told investigators that she warned him it was not a good idea, adding that he was an immature boy.

His sister, Anastasia Andreychenko, said he had asked her if she would videotape him going into Walmart with a gun and she also told him it was a bad idea, according to the probable cause statement.

Walmart issued a statement yesterday praising authorities for stopping the incident from escalating. It said Andreychenko is no longer welcome in its stores.

“This was a reckless act designed to scare people, disrupt our business and it put our associates and customers at risk,” said spokeswoman LeMia Jenkins. “We applaud the quick actions of our associates to evacuate customers from our store, and we’re thankful no one was injured.”

Since January 2017, Missouri has not required a permit to openly or conceal carry a firearm for those 19 years or older. Roughly 30 states in the US allow the open carrying of handguns and rifles and shotguns in public without a permit.

With reporting from the Associated Press

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    Mute George Hogan
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    May 25th 2014, 12:02 PM

    The world of music breathes a collective sigh of relief!

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    Mute TOP CAT
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    May 25th 2014, 12:13 PM

    F**k you deputy Gogarty,
    F**k you….

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    Mute Ronan Stokes
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    May 25th 2014, 2:58 PM

    Thats most un parliamentary language Top Cat.

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    Mute silentbob2012
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    May 25th 2014, 12:13 PM

    Musican? Politician? Chancer more like it.

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    Mute Red Ed
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    May 25th 2014, 12:16 PM

    It just shows how pissed off the voters are voting this jinit in

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    Mute andrew
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    May 25th 2014, 12:38 PM

    He is no musician. He is no politician either. The first doesn’t matter. The second does. Despair at this result

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    Mute Alan Mooney
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    May 25th 2014, 12:37 PM

    Honestly if this man can become a TD absolutely anyone can. I’m all for the people being represented in government but this takes the piss. I just might run myself next time…….

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    Mute Colm O'Brien
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    May 25th 2014, 1:34 PM

    Why don’t you? Talk is cheap though.

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    Mute Angela Flynn
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    May 25th 2014, 5:56 PM

    The desire to be in politics should immediately render one ineligible….

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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    May 25th 2014, 8:35 PM

    If K Egan can become a TD absolutely anyone can, you surely mean

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    Mute Neal Ireland
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    May 25th 2014, 12:15 PM

    Sometimes I worry about the level of political debate.

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    Mute D
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    May 25th 2014, 12:33 PM

    Tool.

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    Mute Colm O'Brien
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    May 25th 2014, 1:37 PM

    Fascinating. You’re talents as a debater are wasted here.

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    Mute Michael Berchmans
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    May 25th 2014, 12:31 PM

    Musician, eh?

    He has the vocabulary to be a gangsta rapper, anyway.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 25th 2014, 3:55 PM

    God help Ireland!

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    Mute William Grogan
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    May 25th 2014, 1:54 PM

    Patrick Moore, founder of Greenpeace, has recently stated that The Green movement has become a religion. I agree, a pagan Earth worshipping religion.

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    Mute Paul Creedon
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    May 25th 2014, 5:22 PM

    @William – not so long ago, I looked up the pillars and principles of the Green Party. It was interesting to see how closely they align with the pillars of Marxism, albeit dressed up in different clothes.

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    Mute John B. Reid
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    May 26th 2014, 12:27 AM

    He should stay as a musician.

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