Florida Man Finds Loaded Semi-Automatic Rifle in Toy Box Bought at Goodwill Store as Baby Shower Present

Florida police have launched an investigation after a baby toy box purchased from a thrift store last weekend was found to contain a semi-automatic rifle.

Veronica Alvarez-Rodriguez said she paid $9.99 for a Baby Einstein bouncer on Sunday from a Goodwill store in Okaloosa County. It was intended as a gift for a baby shower she was attending with her husband in Crestview, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported.

But according to the woman, there was no bouncer inside. Instead, the recipient found it held a loaded semi-automatic rifle and live ammunition.

The father-to-be who opened the box, who was not named, shouted, "You guys got me a gun!" before realizing that it wasn't intentional, Alvarez-Rodriguez told the Northwest Florida Daily News.

The incident was reported to the Crestview Police Department, who responded to the residence.

An image published by the local news website appears to show an officer inspecting the rifle and using a smartphone to take images of it.

A video that was uploaded to YouTube by the outlet after being obtained via Alvarez-Rodriguez, showed how the firearm had been placed sideways in the box.

The woman said on Facebook the police will have the gun for 90 days after initially telling the couple they were free to keep the weapon. Her post, uploaded on Monday, has since attracted more than 1,300 shares and over 700 comments from users on the social network.

"When you go to the Goodwill for a baby shower gift thinking you got a good deal on a bouncer not even opened and you end up opening a MOSSBERG 715T Semi-Auto Rifle," she wrote.

"Serial number was clean & Crestview Police said do what you want with it," she added. "The gun now belongs to [the baby] who is due to enter this world any day now. Just added video proof that gun does in fact fit in the baby bouncer box. Crestview Police have the gun for 90 days."

Alvarez-Rodriguez told Fox 35 News the discovery had been a "total shock, but also hilarious." She said she was "just glad it came into safe hands, with all of our husbands being military."

The rifle appeared to have a tag placed over the magazine chamber, although it's not clear who placed it there. Crestview police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Maj. Andrew Schneider, the department's public information officer, told the Northwest Florida Daily News an officer was dispatched to the home to run checks on the caller. The weapon was later seized by law enforcement and the incident remains under investigation, he added.