California man who claimed coronavirus is government conspiracy has guns taken after 'threatening' social media posts

A man in California had three unregistered shotguns taken away last week after "bizarre and threatening" posts on social media about a coronavirus government conspiracy, according to officials.

A 52-year-old man from the Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood of San Diego told police he believed COVID-19 was an "elaborate hoax" to allow the tracking of Americans through 5G cell towers, the San Diego City's Attorney's Office said in a news release on Saturday.

“Stress from the COVID-19 public health crisis is exacerbating anxiety and mental health struggles for many,” city attorney Mara Elliott said in a statement. “Thanks to public vigilance, police were able to safely intervene and remove firearms from someone who presented a danger to himself and others before he resorted to violence.”

According to the city's attorney's office, multiple calls were made to the San Diego Police Department after the man told friends and family about his plan to arm himself during the pandemic.