What was supposed to be a routine Amazon drop-off in Minneapolis ended with a loaded handgun in a customer’s box on Friday, Feb. 27, according to police. The man told officers he had not ordered a firearm and immediately called 911, kicking off an investigation into how a gun ended up on his doorstep. Police say they have not made any arrests or announced charges, but the odd delivery has stirred fresh concern about package safety as online orders surge across the Twin Cities.
MPR News reports that the recipient, who identified himself as Travis Meier, shared photos of the Amazon-labeled package and the handgun inside. Minneapolis police confirmed to the outlet that detectives are investigating how a loaded firearm ended up in what Meier believed was an ordinary shipment.
How federal shipping rules work
Under federal rules, handguns are not treated like typical online purchases. In most cases, they cannot be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service except in narrow, official circumstances, and private carriers follow strict notice and recipient verification requirements. Federal guidance and Postal Service rules limit how firearms move through shipping networks and call for documentation when guns change hands, partly to prevent illegal interstate transfers and mix-ups that land weapons where they do not belong. USPS Publication 52 outlines many of those requirements.
Delivery volumes complicate the picture
At the same time, the Minneapolis area has seen a spike in so-called last-mile deliveries as Amazon builds out same-day and rapid fulfillment sites around the metro. That surge means thousands more parcels are hitting local porches every day, which can make rare, bizarre incidents like an unexpected handgun stand out even more. The rapid expansion of Amazon’s same-day network in the Twin Cities was detailed by the Star Tribune, which noted new local hubs and a growing flood of packages into neighborhoods.
Legal questions and next steps
Minneapolis police say the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information to contact detectives. Federal law and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives rules narrowly define how firearms can be shipped and who can receive them, and violations can bring federal penalties. Those limits are laid out in ATF eRegulations, while the initial account of the Minneapolis delivery and police response was first reported by MPR News.
