Loaded gun discovered outside Mankato residence

A loaded gun found outside a Mankato residence could be connected to a previous incident, police say.

The gun was discovered Saturday just after 11 a.m. on the 400 block of Van Buren St, next to the roadway.

The weapon appeared wet, and the reporting party hadn’t noticed it there earlier, said Dan Schisel, Mankato Public Safety Associate Director.  Police believe the weapon was perhaps under the snow and became visible when the snowbank melted.

Schisel confirmed the weapon was a handgun that was loaded.

The gun could be connected to a previous call for service.  A suspect was detained or taken into custody in that area, Schisel said.  He says there is an ongoing investigation to determine whether the gun was connected to that service call, and perhaps hidden.

“Thankfully, an alert citizen reported it, didn’t touch it, and we were able to safely secure that weapon and render it safe and take it into our hands,” said Schisel.