A Washington state man who was being investigated after his son took one of his unsecured guns was accused of keeping far more than just firearms in the family home.
David James Neff, 44, was arrested on July 15 after his wife was accidentally shot in the arm by their four-year-old son. According to court documents obtained by local ABC affiliate KOMO, Neff was asleep with the gun holstered at his waist when the little boy grabbed it and pulled the trigger.
However, after Neff was arrested, prosecutors in Washington’s Snohomish County stated that an investigation at his home revealed a massive arsenal of weapons, including 73 firearms, more than ten homemade explosive devices, and what appeared to be a plan to carry out a mass shooting in his neighborhood.
According to KOMO’s reporting on the court documents, prosecutors said that the discovery of the additional weapons justified a higher bail amount for Neff, stating, “Increased bail is appropriate where the additional information supports that the danger of future violence was not fully appreciated at the time that bail was initially set.”
On Monday, a judge increased Neff’s bail to $1 million.
According to the Lynwood Times, when the shooting occurred on July 15, Neff was still asleep when deputies arrived on scene. Sandi Weaver, 41, Neff’s wife, was found bleeding from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her arm and taken to a nearby hospital.
The 4-year-old also sustained a minor injury under his eye, most likely from the gun’s recoil, and was treated at the scene alongside his 9-year-old sibling. Both children were eventually placed in the custody of other relatives.
Police said Neff was “pale, sweating, and eerily calm” while being questioned, which led them to believe he was on drugs. They eventually discovered what they suspected to be drugs and a meth pipe on him, and a search of the family home revealed drug paraphernalia.
Neff reportedly told police that he had 13 firearms registered in his name in his home, which were locked in a safe. During the execution of the search warrant, police discovered 60 more unregistered, unsecured firearms, including short-barrel rifles, “AR-style rifles,” pistols. They also located a bump stock.
The Washington State Patrol bomb squad safely removed the ten homemade bombs, which were described as tubes filled with gunpowder, wiring, nails, and other shrapnel materials made with the “intent of killing and injuring others” by police. Inside the house, there were several containers of gunpowder and ammunition-making supplies.
According to prosecutors, Neff, who worked at an armory, was not licensed to possess, manufacture, or store explosives by the Washington Department of Labor and Industry.
According to the Lynwood Times, Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Kristina Beske-Keplinger stated: “The magnitude of the threat that [Neff] poses to this community was not fully understood until the search concluded.” She went on to say, “A person who works in an armory should understand the importance of firearm safety. Instead, he exacerbated an already dangerous situation by adding bombs.
According to KOMO, Neff previously worked at West Coast Armory, a local gun shop and range.
Neff pleaded not guilty to 14 felonies, including first-degree unsafe firearm storage, unlicensed explosives possession, two counts of unlawful firearm possession, two counts of reckless endangerment, and eight counts of possession of an explosive device. He remains in the Snohomish County Jail on a $1 million bond and is set to stand trial on September 26.
