Kentucky man arrested at university hospital with guns, explosives and body armor

Convicted felon Bryan Carroll was charged today with 3^rd degree use of weapons of mass destruction after his arrest Thursday upon leaving a University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington.

Carroll, 44, was apprehended by University of Kentucky police outside Albert B. Chandler Hospital after they were tipped off that a man visiting a relative at the hospital was "armed and dangerous," reports the Louisville Courier-Journal.

"According to his arrest citation, Carroll was in possession of five guns, including two handguns that he brought into the hospital, along with four improvised explosive devices."

"FBI Louisville, meanwhile, said law enforcement agencies would hold "controlled explosions" in the suspect's Kentucky hometown of Versailles throughout the day Friday in an effort to address "public safety concerns" following the incident.

"Officers arrested Carroll as he attempted to enter his car, according to his arrest report — Carroll resisted and attempted to flee, the report stated, at which point he was brought to the ground and handcuffed.

"Officers found two guns strapped to his waistline, according to the citation, along with a container holding an unknown gray/white powdery substance and a straw. At least three other guns were found in the vehicle after a family member of Carroll was asked to step out of the car, arresting officers said, along with "a suspicious looking item made of paper and tape which resembled an improvised explosive device." A total of four devices believed to be bombs were recovered.

"Streets in the area were closed for several hours and the emergency wing of Chandler Hospital was inaccessible as law enforcement officials, including police robots and personnel wearing bomb suits, combed the area."

"Carroll, in custody, is facing five charges of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, four counts of third-degree use of a weapon of mass destruction, one count of resisting arrest, one count of second-degree fleeing or evading police, one count of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, one count of unlawful possession of a weapon on school property and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

"Carroll has been accused of domestic violence in court several times in the past two decades, including a 2009 conviction and a 2019 case that was dismissed involving the family member at the center of Thursday's chaos. Kidnapping charges in a 2014 criminal case against Carroll were amended down to fourth-degree domestic violence assault charges a year later, court records show, after the victim said she did not want Carroll to spend time in jail."

In related news, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, continues to oppose new gun-control measures passed by the House of Representatives that would, among other things, strengthen background-check laws to make it more difficult for felons like Carroll to obtain the handguns he possessed.

NBC reports: "Asked about gun legislation Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he's "open to the discussion" but didn't say what ideas he might support. The Kentucky Republican said he opposes the House-approved policies, adding, "What I'm not attracted to is something that doesn't work."