Photos: Government-Issued Assault Rifle Found in Redondo Beach

A gun described as a "government-issued assault rifle" by the Redondo Beach Police Department was discovered Thursday morning near the intersection of Broadway and Vincent Street in South Redondo Beach.

The person who found the weapon initially thought it was a musical instrument, but when she opened the case, she saw the gun and heard a ticking noise, according to comments posted on Patch. A police officer was flagged down, and authorities evacuated houses surrounding her residence in case the ticking sound was an explosive device.

As it turned out, the ticking came from a recordable greeting card, according to the person who found the weapon. 

As of Thursday, police were trying to determine whether the weapon—owned by someone in law enforcement working for an agency under the Homeland Security umbrella—was accidentally left out by the owner or stolen from a vehicle.

The photos above were provided to Patch by the person who discovered the rifle.

• Previously: Assault Rifle Discoverly Leads to Evacuation [Updated]