Hotel Guest Arrested After Rifle, Ammunition Found in Room Overlooking Lake

A man was arrested on the Fourth of July after a hotel employee found guns and ammunition is his room overlooking Chicago's lakefront.

Keegan Casteel, 32, was arrested after a witness informed police that the man had a rifle inside a hotel room in the 600 block of N. Lake Shore Drive on Sunday evening, a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department told Newsweek. "The offender was taken into custody without incident. A rifle and an additional firearm were recovered from the scene," the spokesman added.

Casteel, of Ankeny, Iowa, was charged with two felony charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, police said, adding that he doesn't possess a valid Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. The card is required to legally possess or purchase firearms or ammunition in Illinois.

According to WGN Investigates, the employee at the W Hotel discovered a .308 caliber rifle, a high-powered scope, a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition in Casteel's room.

Marriott, which owns W Hotels, has been contacted by Newsweek for comment.

Staff in hotels across the country are on alert for suspicious behavior after a series of mass shootings in recent years. In one of the worst atrocities, a gunman in 2017 opened fire on a large crowd at a country music festival from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

The gunman, Stephen Paddock, shot and killed 58 people and wounded several hundreds more before taking his own life in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Two other victims have died from the injuries they sustained in the years since.

A report revealed that Paddock meticulously planned the attack. He reportedly rented hotel rooms overlooking outdoor concerts and also investigated possible targets in at least four U.S. cities, including Chicago.

Casteel's arrest comes as Chicago continues to brace itself for a violent summer.

According to statistics released on Thursday, fewer killings were reported over the first six months of 2021 in the city, compared with the same period last year, but the number of shootings and people shot has increased.

The Chicago Tribune reported that at least 95 people were shot in the city during the long Independence Day weekend, including two police officers, a 6-year-old girl and her mother. Sixteen people died in shootings that took place from about 5 p.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Monday.

More than 6,100 guns have been seized by police in Chicago so far this year, according to Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown.

He tweeted Monday: "Our officers @Chicago_Police continue to work tirelessly to keep our city safe. As of today, #CPD has recovered over 6,100 guns: a 26% increase from the same period last year. I commend our officers for their continued hard work during these challenging times for law enforcement."

Last month, President Joe Biden outlined new measures to curb gun violence after several cities across the country saw a spike in violent crime as COVID restrictions eased.