Three Funeral-Goers Arrested for Possession of Auto Sears

in Max Slowik, This Week
Three modified pistols were found after police stopped three men after a brief chase in Minnesota.
Three modified pistols were found after police stopped three men after a brief chase. (Photo: WXYZ)

Minneapolis authorities have arrested a pair of twin brothers equipped with modified handguns fit with auto sears. Police say they seized three of the machine guns from their vehicle after a chase.

The brothers, Cortez and Quantez Ward, 18, are charged with possessing firearms illegally altered to be able to fire fully automatically, according to the Hennepin County District Court. A third man, Muhnee Bailey, 21, was also arrested.

The police received a tip that the brothers were likely armed with the modified guns and were conducting surveillance at the funeral for 15-year-old Santana Jackson, which they were expected to attend. Jackson was killed last New Year’s Even in what appeared to be a robbery.

The arrests took place after police attempted to pull over their black Jeep at a local gas station. Police say their vehicle drove off after the stop and crashed.

Cortez Ward was arrested immediately but his brother and Bailey tried to flee on foot before also being arrested.

Police say the number of modified full-auto pistols is on the rise in Minnesota. The modification process is simple, and the parts are available on the black market, Chinese sources online as well as in the form of easy-to-produce plans for 3D printing them.

Some vendors even advertise the parts on social media, as airsoft parts or other devices entirely. Law enforcement agencies across the country are increasingly on the lookout for these often very illegal parts.

SEE ALSO: West Virginia Man Arrested for Selling Full-Auto AR-15 Sears as ‘Portable Wall Hangers’

Nicknamed “Glock switches,” the auto sears work as a kit that replaces the slide plate on the popular pistols. Installing them is about as easy as detail-stripping the slide and reassembling it with the kit.

“It can be done in about 60 seconds,” said Assistant Special Agent Jeffrey Reed with the local Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, the BATFE or ATF.

“They’re out there a lot,” said Quantrell Urman, the founder of the street outreach program Turf Politics. “They’re everywhere.”

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About the author: Max Slowik is a writer with over a dozen years of experience and is a lifelong shooter. He has unwavering support for the Second Amendment and the human right to self-defense. Like Thomas Paine, he’s a journalist by profession and a propagandist by inclination.

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  • ted April 15, 2022, 1:41 pm

    I have fired a few post dealer sample versions of this switch. While it may not be the most accurate thing around, in a controlled range environment, they are a lot of fun !

  • Todd January 23, 2022, 7:35 pm

    Minneapolis?

    So they are probably already back home with apologies from the Cops & City and are waiting for the compensation checks for the inconvenience and the crashed Jeep/

  • Nunya Business January 21, 2022, 3:12 pm

    What is a 15-year-old doing with a gun? Other than that. That is the ONLY CRIME. You have the RIGHT TO MODIFY YOUR FIREARM ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE. PERIOD. WE THE PEOPLE ARE NOT OWNED BY “ANY” HUMAN, PERIOD. If an 18-year-old can go to war and die for OUR COUNTRY, then an 18-YEAR-OLD HAS the RIGHT TO OWN ANY GUN THEY WANT, PERIOD. We have GOD GIVEN NATURAL BORN RIGHTS NO HUMAN has a SAY AGAINST, PERIOD. These SATANIC NAZI WANNABE POWER HAPPY CONTROL FREAK HUMAN GIVEN government JOB TITLED TERRORIST TYRANTS and their BRAIN DEAD HUMAN GIVEN government JOB TITLED WORSHIPING ANUS SUCKING KOOL-AID LAPPING HUMAN CONTROLLED OWNED SHEEPLE SLAVE COWARDS can ALL TAKE THEIR LITTLE HUMAN WANNABE CONTROL and SHOVE IT UP THEIR ANUSES or IT’S GOING TO GET DONE FOR THEM. Tired of ALL YOU FING IDIOTS THINKING YOU OWN PEOPLE and THINKING YOU HAVE “ANY” SAY in WHAT OTHERS CAN HAVE. OWN. BUY. SELL. MAKE. CARRY. ETC….
    Until SOMEONE PURPOSELY HURTS SOMEONE ELSE (OUTSIDE OF TYRANNY OR SELF DEFENSE) or SOMEONE ELSE’S PROPERTY, There IS NO CRIME, PERIOD.

  • Robert Ecklund January 21, 2022, 12:08 pm

    Lets see, Under age to legally own a handgun, Monitoring a gang funeral, illegally modifying a firearm, Gang members, In the act of committing a crime, So what laws did they pay any attention to that would have kept them from their criminal acts?

    • Rock January 21, 2022, 1:21 pm

      Yep, more from the 13% segment that commit 54% of all violent crime. Of course, the justice system will be lenient and little to no prosecution.

  • Dexter Winslett January 21, 2022, 11:32 am

    And I bet you they all vote democrat.

  • Arch January 21, 2022, 11:09 am

    Muhnee? Name your kid Muhnee (or Quartez & Quantez for that matter), expect him to be a shitbag.

    • ES January 26, 2022, 4:01 pm

      that’s the funniest d*mn thing i have ever heard!

  • Nick January 21, 2022, 11:02 am

    The auto sear for the Glock was available over the counter in one of the German PX stores, military clothing and sales equivalence type of store. North side of KAIA.

  • TERRY POHLAND January 21, 2022, 10:51 am

    These ghetto blasters are of little use to anyone who knows what they’re doing with firearms. I’ll take well placed shots anytime to a fully automatic weapon.

    • Ej harbet January 24, 2022, 12:19 pm

      That being said I wouldn’t want Ian from forgotten weapons coming after me with one. That guy is a trigger control artist with full auto! Any one else ill hit the deck and park a jhp under his chin as he sprays the sky

  • Mike in a Truck January 21, 2022, 9:57 am

    Stupid kids.

  • Big Al 45 January 21, 2022, 9:57 am

    Interesting that no one commented on the age of the brothers.

    • Gutsy January 21, 2022, 11:21 am

      It states they were 18 and a third man arrested was 21.

    • KBob January 21, 2022, 2:21 pm

      Or their race.

  • Godfrey Washington January 21, 2022, 9:46 am

    I like how we’re not talking about the fact that in these guys’ world, 15 year olds get shot in robberies. Background checks didn’t help, mag capacity laws didn’t help and wait periods didn’t help.

    If I lived in that world I’d have more than a couple of machine pistols.

    Just more proof that we are all on our own. Take your personal safety seriously because no one else will.

  • James Smith January 21, 2022, 8:54 am

    They are not “machine-guns”. They are fully automatic pistols. Just sayin….

  • D.J. January 21, 2022, 8:45 am

    We used to call that , “ spray and pray “ .

    At the cost of ammo today , I am left wondering
    who the hell’s paying for all this automatic “ fun “ ?

    We also said , “ may all of your enemies be on full auto .”
    Suppressive fire is often brief and erratic , but it is
    important to remember , a reload is coming soon .

    • Rock January 21, 2022, 1:42 pm

      True, unless you are flying an A-10 ready to unleash he££.

  • Repeal the NFA January 21, 2022, 8:41 am

    It is sad that people cannot own what they want. It should not be a crime to own “parts”. If they are criminals otherwise, ok, but what they own shouldn’t make them criminals.

    • Dogman197 January 21, 2022, 10:02 am

      I don’t think it should be legal to own something you can’t control, that has the potential to harm many people when deployed in the “spray and pray” mode.
      It removes it from the “tool” category to a “liability “.

      • Big Jim January 21, 2022, 11:25 am

        @Dogman197, starting with your mouth and your phone and your computer. You don’t think at all that’s your problem.

      • JSK Farms January 21, 2022, 11:44 am

        According to that logical thinking we need to eliminate all vehicles because a 3,000 to 80,000 pound vehicle has the “potential” to harm many people goes from the tool category to a liability. Stats show that there are 10’s of thousands of more people killed and maimed every year by vehicles, than there are by a modified pistol or any firearm.

  • Namer January 21, 2022, 8:40 am

    “seized three of the machine guns from their vehicle after a chase.”

    No they seized machine pistols. Lots of differences between the 2.

  • Tarheel January 21, 2022, 8:17 am

    These idiots with little aim and then spray will quickly find they have no more bullets. Furthermore, it you own a firearm you know ammo ain’t cheap. Stupid is as stupid does.

  • Wilko January 21, 2022, 7:46 am

    A full auto handgun is of no practical value, being impossible to deliver accurate, controlled fire with. I’m sure, however, that they are popular with gang bangers and drive by shooters

    • MeSeaHunt January 21, 2022, 8:44 am

      this is why the “3-round burst” was adopted……… it is just the theory of the more u can put down range the better your odds of more carnage, and the theory works!!!

    • TexDad January 21, 2022, 9:08 am

      That’s just not true. Go do a video search for Glock 18. It’s meant to be a PDW capable of loading up an attacker at short range with hits very quickly to get a quick stop. It’s a perfectly viable weapon for this purpose.

      • Ej harbet January 24, 2022, 12:25 pm

        IF you know what you are doing with it. The 93r barretta was the 1 with 3rd burst. The glock is around 1200 rpm. A fun gun was the vz61 skorpion. That ran 900rpm but 32acp made it easier to control.

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