United States

UPS Delivers Rifle to New York Home Instead of Kid's Christmas Gift

A UPS spokeswoman called the mix-up "highly unusual" and said the company is working to ensure the little boy's Christmas gift gets delivered as scheduled

A Long Island couple was horrified when a UPS delivery that they thought was a Christmas present turned out to be a package containing a magazine-fed rifle. 

Sixty-six-year-old Joel Berman opened the keyboard-sized case containing the gun in front of his wife and 6-year-old granddaughter Wednesday night at his home in Oceanside, according to Newsday

Berman told NBC 4 New York that he was "shocked" upon receiving the package and that "there should have been better oversight."

Instead of a toy plane they were buying for their friend's son, they found a Barrett 50-caliber rifle, scope, stand, magazine and copies of an Arizona man's driver's license and concealed-weapons permit.

They hustled their granddaughter out of the room and called police, who picked up the weapon. 

A UPS spokeswoman called the mix-up "highly unusual" and said the company is investigating. They're also working to ensure the little boy's Christmas gift gets delivered as scheduled.  

"UPS does accept shipment of certain firearms in our domestic U.S. system as long as the shipments comply with applicable law and are shipped in accordance with company policies," Susan Rosenberg said. "These shipments must be between licensed manufacturers, dealers, distributors, collectors and exclude consumer shipments. UPS puts responsibility with the shippers of regulated goods to follow the requirements for labeling and specific packaging."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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