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Man shoots traffic light, UCLA police say

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Times Staff Writer

A 52-year-old man was being held without bail on suspicion of shooting at a traffic light in Westwood and having more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition in his van and a storage locker late last week, UCLA police said Monday.

Gene Bush allegedly began firing at a traffic light at Broxton and Le Conte avenues shortly before midnight Thursday.

Campus police responding to the shooting reported that they found Bush on the sidewalk, empty-handed but wearing a holster.

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They said that when they ordered him, at gunpoint, to get on the ground, he responded: “Not until everyone else gets here.”

At that point, an officer incapacitated Bush with a Taser and he was handcuffed.

He is being held in Los Angeles County Jail.

Authorities said Bush was carrying five loaded semiautomatic pistols equipped with laser sights.

In all, UCLA police said, they recovered 400 rounds from Bush.

They believe Bush hit the traffic light once and a nearby building once.

Witnesses told campus police he had fired three times.

According to a news release issued by campus police, once in custody Bush made anti-government statements and told officers to look in his briefcase for “the secret.”

In the briefcase, officers said, they found timers and cans of paint thinner as well as other materials that they considered suspicious.

They also recovered what they described as a manifesto titled “The Secret.”

At that time, UCLA officers called the Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad for assistance.

Authorities said an additional 7,800 rounds were found in Bush’s van and 3,000 rounds were recovered from his storage locker.

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Campus police said they did not believe that Bush had a criminal history.

They said he appeared to be living in his van.

No one was hurt in the incident.

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jason.song@latimes.com

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