Mom Finds AR-15 in Back of Rental Car, and It's Even a Little More Surprising Who Left It There

A New York mom and daughter on vacation in Florida found an unwelcome surprise in the back of their rental SUV earlier this month. Inside a bag was an AR-15, which was later revealed to have been left there by the wife of a NFL quarterback.

According to The Sun-Sentinel, Judith Fleissig said she and her daughter had driven the E-Z Rent-A-Car’s Nissan Rogue around for a couple days before noticing the bag in the back.

“She unzipped it and saw a gun and we were like, ‘Oh my God! A gun,’” Fleissig told WFOR-TV of the Jan. 6 discovery.

Fleissig snapped a photo of the AR-15 she found in the back of the rental car, later identified to belong to Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, left in the SUV by his wife Lauren. (Image source: WFOR-TV)

“We got out of the car. We were kind of freaked out,” Fleissig told The Sun-Sentinel. “I didn’t want to touch it.”

Fleissig said she immediately called the rental company and was advised to take the firearm to the nearest police station. At the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the AR-15 was found registered to Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. It was accidentally left in the SUV by his wife, Lauren Tannehill.

Miami Dolphins' quarterback Ryan Tannehill, right, talks with his wife, Lauren, after an NFL football practice, Monday, July 22, 2013, in Davie, Fla. (AP/Lynne Sladky)

Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Miami Dolphins passes during a game against the New York Jets at Sun Life Stadium on December 29, 2013 in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

“Though dangerous if it would have landed in the wrong hands, it’s not criminal,” sheriff's office spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said, according to The Sun-Sentinel. “They simply forgot it.”

Watch WFOR-TV’s report on the incident:

According to The Sun-Sentinel, the Tannehill’s are not commenting on the issue, but a source said the couple reported an item left in the returned car to the rental company, though they did not specify what was in the bag.

(H/T: NPR)

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