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Couple orders TV on Amazon, gets semi-automatic rifle instead

Around 6 o'clock Tuesday evening, Seth Horvitz opened his door, expecting to find a package containing a television he'd ordered through Amazon.com. But instead of his new gadget, he found a semi-automatic rifle.Horvitz instantly knew that the long, narrow box on his doorstep couldn't possibly contain the television he and his wife ordered. "I actually flagged down the UPS guy and asked if there
Courtesy of Seth Horvitz / Today
Courtesy of Seth Horvitz / Today

Around 6 o'clock Tuesday evening, Seth Horvitz opened his door, expecting to find a package containing a television he'd ordered through Amazon.com. But instead of his new gadget, he found a semi-automatic rifle.

Horvitz instantly knew that the long, narrow box on his doorstep couldn't possibly contain the television he and his wife ordered. "I actually flagged down the UPS guy and asked if there was anything else for me," Horvitz told TODAY.com. Confused, he took the box inside and opened it.

At first, when he saw some metal parts, he thought, "maybe it was some accessories for the television."

But that thought didn't last long. Horvitz soon found himself staring at a Sig Sauer SIG716.

Courtesy of Seth Horvitz / Today

Still surprised, Horvitz logged into his Amazon account and contacted the individual from whom he'd ordered a used Westinghouse television. While he did place his order through Amazon, it was in fact for an item offered by an independent seller with a storefront on the online retail site.

He still hadn't received a response by the time his wife, who is expecting the couple's first child, arrived home. She was followed by a group of friends, due for a dinner party. Naturally, the strange delivery was the main topic of discussion. Eventually someone pointed out that it may be illegal to possess that particular firearm in Washington, D.C., where Horvitz lives. It was time to call the Metropolitan Police Department.

"I just told them the simple truth," Horvitz says, about his call to the police. "I ordered a TV on Amazon and this came instead." Officers came and "they just kinda inspected [the package] and when they determined that it was an illegal firearm they said they had to take it away."

Courtesy of Seth Horvitz / Today

Officer Araz Alali, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department, was unable to comment on the situation. "The matter is under investigation," he said.

In the meantime, Ginger Colbrun, a public affairs officer for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), told TODAY.com that Horvitz handled the situation properly. "Since he was not the intended recipient of the firearm, or if it is illegal to posses the firearm in his location, the correct action would be to turn it over to law enforcement," she said.

Once the rifle was removed from their home, Horvitz and his wife decided to contact the Brady Campaign, an organization which focuses on reforming the gun industry "by enacting and enforcing sensible regulations to reduce gun violence, including regulations governing the gun industry."

"Why doesn't [a carrier] mark assault rifles if they're being shipped? Everyone down the line should know if there's a weapon in a package," Horvitz said. "Hopefully spreading this story can make things safer in the future."

Volunteers from the Brady Campaign offered to contact local news outlets to get word of the strange mixup out, Horvitz was interviewed by blogs such as DCist, and his friends tweeted about the situation. 

"It was clearly the wrong package from beginning to end," Horvitz said, pointing out that even the invoice included with the firearm was quite clear: It was for $1,589 and listed a different seller and buyer.

Horvitz paid $324, including shipping, for his missing television. He won't be using it any time soon, but he is being refunded for the amount.

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