Fan arrested at Amalie Arena for bringing gun into Lightning game
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Police say a 27-year-old St. Petersburg man faces misdemeanor charges after bringing a gun to the Tampa Bay Lightning playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Someone saw Lucas Cassidy drop the gun inside a bathroom at the Amalie Arena and notified authorities. When a Tampa police officer confronted Cassidy, he told her he had a gun in his pocket.
Police say that since Cassidy has a valid concealed weapon permit, he will face a second-degree misdemeanor charge of bringing a gun to a sporting event, rather than a felony charge. Police say he wasn’t screened properly when he arrived at the arena.
A phone number was not immediately available for Cassidy.
The incident marks the second notable bust at Amalie since the start of the playoffs. On April 29, Lena Sinishtaj of Sterling Heights, Michigan was arrested for trying to use a lighter to set fire to a Lightning flag as it was being passed around during Tampa Bay’s Game 7 win over the Detroit Red Wings in the first round.
The Lightning beat the Canadiens in Game 3 to take a 3–0 lead in their second round series.