Police: Men with guns arrested near vote counting in Philly

Philadelphia police said they arrested two men for not having permits to carry the guns they were armed with near the state convention center, where vote counting is ongoing

Election 2020 Protests Philadelphia (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Philadelphia police said they arrested two men Thursday for not having permits to carry the guns they were armed with near the state convention center, where vote counting is ongoing.

Police said they had received information earlier in the day that individuals armed with firearms were on their way to the convention center in Philadelphia in a Hummer truck. The two men arrested acknowledged that the Hummer spotted by officers near the center was their vehicle, police said Friday.

An additional firearm was recovered from inside the vehicle, police said.

Both men will face firearm charges but have not been formally charged yet, police said. Their names had not been released as of Friday morning.

There have been no signs of widespread national unrest connected to the election, although there are fears that prolonged uncertainty over the results could enflame tensions. On Thursday, groups of Trump supporters gathered at vote tabulation sites in Phoenix, Detroit and Philadelphia, decrying counts that showed Democrat Joe Biden leading or gaining ground. While the protests have not been violent or very large, local officials were distressed by the crowds and concerned about the relentless accusations.