When Northeastern Washington D.C. resident Seth Horvitz placed his order on Amazon for a new flat panel television, the transaction misfired in a big way. Instead of finding his new TV waiting for him on his doorstep on Wednesday, Horvitz found a long, oddly shaped box that contained a Sig Sauer SIG716 semi-automatic assault rifle!
Not only was the discovery displeasing to Horvitz’s pregnant wife, who hoped to enjoy watching the new television with him, but it couldn’t have shipped to a worse destination. The District of Columbia imposes a ban on assault rifles, meaning Horwitz had to call the local police to explain the situation. Merely taking the box back to UPS to return it would be illegal. Police are investigating why the rifle ended up at a D.C. apartment instead of its intended destination of a Pennsylvania gun shop.
A spokesperson from Amazon claims no direct responsibility for the mix-up, as the order was processed through a third party seller. As for Horvitz? This temporary gun owner says he’s not only surprised by the delivery itself, but by the reactions to the initial story. After FOX 5 news in D.C. reported on the mishap, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence stated, “This mishap could have led to another tragedy.” Meanwhile, a number of pro-gun rights blogs chastised Horvitz for calling the police.
Horvitz says he appreciates the absurdity of the situation, but really only opened the box because he thought it might have contained the stand or other parts for his new TV. His family would simply like to receive the product paid for, and Horvitz says, “It definitely makes me think twice about the lack of information about third-party sellers on Amazon.”
Whatever the outcome, I’m certain this doesn’t go well with Amazon’s “… and You’re Done” slogan.
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