Two Minors Arrested After Waymo Reports 'Ghost Gun' in San Francisco Self-Driving Car

Two unnamed minors — a boy and a girl, whose exact ages were not released — were arrested after a report of a firearm inside an autonomous Waymo vehicle in San Francisco on Sept. 3, police said.

The San Francisco Police Department said officers received a call just before 4 a.m. local time reporting that passengers in the self-driving car had a weapon. Responding officers conducted what they described as a "high-risk vehicle stop" and took the two juveniles into custody.

Police recovered an AR-style rifle characterized as a "ghost gun," a firearm without a serial number that can be sold in parts and assembled or sometimes 3D-printed. Officers also reported finding suspected marijuana and what they described as mace spray inside the vehicle.

Local outlets The Los Angeles Times and SFGATE reported the vehicle was operated by Waymo and said company employees pulled the car over and contacted law enforcement. Waymo told The Los Angeles Times it stopped the vehicle after detecting "a violation of our terms of service involving a firearm." USA TODAY has reached out to Waymo and the San Francisco Police Department for further comment.

Context

This is not the first time Waymo has alerted police about passenger behavior. In July, San Mateo police responded after Waymo reported two 15-year-olds were drinking and firing objects from one of its vehicles; officers later determined the teens were shooting Orbeez water beads.

Note: Authorities have not released the minors' names or ages. The investigation details, including potential charges, were not specified in the initial police statement.

Sources: San Francisco Police Department statement; The Los Angeles Times; SFGATE; USA TODAY reporting.