As anyone known to hunt through thrift shops can attest, you truly never know what you’ll find in one of them.
The old adage goes that one person’s trash is another’s treasure, but the bizarre collection of things found in these stores begs the question of how people acquired some of this stuff in the first place. After all, you can’t junk something without getting your own hands on it at some point.
But even those hardened enough to have seen every creepy doll and questionably stained article of clothing that thrift stores have to offer would never expect to end up with one Florida couple’s surprise purchase.
On Sunday, Veronica Alvarez-Rodriguez of Valparaiso, Florida was heading to a baby shower in nearby Crestview.
As the Palm Beach Post reported , she stopped to get a gift at a Goodwill store along the way.
She eventually came across a box that appeared to contain a Baby Einstein bouncer along the way.
Considering that the package cost just $9.99 and appeared to be both unopened and new, she thought she had come away with a great deal.
As she said, “Goodwill has the best treasures for $9.99.”
After the expectant father opened the gift, however, Alvarez-Rodriguez realized she had end up with more than she bargained for.
Instead of a baby bouncer, the box contained a Mossberg 715T semi-automatic rifle, which was apparently loaded with live ammunition.
Although she and her husband stood shocked, however, the father-to-be and the other guests started laughing.
For his part, the father excitedly said, “You got me a gun.”
Once it was revealed what happened, however, he wouldn’t have long to enjoy it.
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The Crestview police were called and checked the IDs of the shower guests to ensure they had gun licenses.
Apparently, the officers were satisfied enough with the permits presented that they allowed those involved to keep the rifle while the incident was under investigation.
However, that judgement call was apparently overruled, as police asked them to turn over the gun on the following day.
At present, the matter itself and the question of how that gun made it into the baby bouncer box without any Goodwill employees noticing remains under investigation.
h/t: Palm Beach Post
