DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- More than a year-and-a-half later, a gun used to shoot a deputy in June 2016 has been recovered from a pond in Landen, according to the Warren County Sheriff's Office.
Two boys playing behind Jonathan Lane found a Century Arms RAS AK-47 Sunday night in a run-off area near a pond that had been searched by divers, according to Chief Deputy Barry K. Riley.
The weapon itself was not functional in its current condition, yet it had one live round chambered and additional ammunition in the magazine, police said.
The boys, 9 and 15, turned the gun over to their father, according to Riley.
"We are incredibly relieved knowing this weapon has been recovered, and we are thankful the two young boys made the right decision to immediately turn the weapon over to their father who then contacted us," Riley wrote in a news release.
Mohammed Laghaoui led officials on a seven-hour manhunt overnight on June 9, 2016, after he wounded his father and Warren County Deputy Katie Barnes with an AK-47 style weapon. When authorities found Laghaoui, the gun was missing.
It was unclear what finally led to its discovery.
“Who knows? Who knows if it got washed up there,” Riley said. “It could have been put there. We just don’t know.”
Barnes was not immediately available to comment on the discovery, Riley said.
“I’m sure she’s relieved,” Riley said. “This was the missing piece.”
Laghaoui’s lawyer, Nadeem Quraishi, said he was unsure if this would impact the case, but that he planned to examine the rifle.
“It hasn’t all sunk in for me yet,” Quraishi said. “It may have been found right where he said it was.”
The discovery could help impact the conviction for tampering with evidence, Quraishi said.
In April 2017, a jury convicted Laghaoui of attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder and nine of 10 counts in all. Laghaoui was found not guilty of firing into a neighbor's apartment.
He was sentenced to 36 years in prison.
The Journal-News contributed to this report.
