Chanhassen student charged after automatic handgun investigation

CHANHASSEN, Minn. (FOX 9) - An 18-year-old student at Chanhassen High School was arrested on Tuesday after a police investigation determined he had been in possession of a handgun illegally outfitted to make it fully automatic.

According to the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, around 12:13 p.m., police arrested Nicholas Rafael Navarro, of Shakopee, after determining he had allegedly been in possession of a handgun fitted with an auto sear – a device that converts a semiautomatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun, and illegal to possess in Minnesota – during a traffic stop on Jan. 11. He has since been charged with possession of a machine gun/trigger activator.

Charges state that on Feb. 13, law enforcement began investigating the possession of a firearm in the school's parking lot. In a video posted on Snapchat, two individuals are observed in the parking lot, and the video pans to the trunk of a vehicle where two firearms are located. One of the firearms was determined to be a "ghost gun," a 9mm firearm with an automatic switch.

In a search of Navarro’s Snapchat account, many images of firearms were saved to his account. The account also showed images that contained various firearms with dollar amounts, leading law enforcement to suspect he was involved in their sales, according to charges.

Navarro was arrested on April 9 at the school without incident, and not in possession of any weapons.

During a conversation with police, Navarro stated he saves pictures of firearms on his Snapchat, and that he liked looking at guns, but doesn’t like touching them.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).