A 34-year-old man from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is facing several serious charges after police say he left a suitcase full of weapons at Newark-Penn Station and later carried more guns—including a “booby-trapped” rifle—onto a train headed to Virginia.
The man, identified as Jefferey O. Kennerk, was arrested at the Trenton Transit Center in New Jersey on January 3, 2025.
According to officials, as police tried to confiscate the weapons, one of the rifles unexpectedly discharged, which led to concerns that it had been booby-trapped to fire on its own.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said that Kennerk allegedly brought several deadly weapons and large amounts of ammunition through public transport areas filled with travelers.
One of the weapons, an assault rifle, was left behind in a suitcase in a busy section of Newark-Penn Station. “This could have ended very badly if not for the quick work of law enforcement,” Platkin said.
The investigation started around 2:55 p.m. on January 3, when a transit police officer noticed a zebra-print suitcase left unattended near a McDonald’s inside Newark-Penn Station.
Upon checking the suitcase, officers discovered a loaded handgun, a high-capacity magazine with rifle rounds, four boxes of bullets, and an AK-47-style rifle loaded with one bullet. Additional magazines with ammunition were also found.
After checking security footage, police saw a man—later identified as Kennerk—walk away from the suitcase to buy a train ticket from an Amtrak window. The train he boarded was heading to Virginia and was scheduled to stop next at the Trenton Transit Center.
When the train arrived in Trenton, officers got on and approached Kennerk. He showed a ticket for a different Amtrak train and claimed he had accidentally boarded the wrong one.
Officers asked him to wait at the station for the correct train, which was expected to arrive within the hour.
However, once police realized Kennerk was the suspect linked to the abandoned suitcase in Newark, they approached him again. Just as he was about to board another train, he was taken into custody.
When they searched the suitcase he had with him during the arrest, officers found more weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle, additional handguns, and more ammunition.
While searching the bag, officers found what they called a “booby-trapped rifle.” It was loaded with .300 AAC Blackout ammunition and wrapped in multiple handkerchiefs around the trigger area.
When an officer tried to remove the cloth while keeping the barrel pointed into the suitcase, the gun discharged without the trigger being pulled, suggesting it had been rigged to fire on its own.
In addition to the guns, police found four silencers and hollow-point bullets, which are designed to cause more impact damage.
New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan said this case shows the real danger posed by people who collect illegal weapons without any regard for public safety.
“Thanks to the fast action of law enforcement, a possible tragedy was avoided,” Callahan said.
Kennerk now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault, illegal possession of firearms, endangering public safety, and more. The investigation is still ongoing.