Local prosecutors seized the rifle of a south New Jersey man, accusing him of anti-Semitism and advocating for the killing of Jewish people, according to court documents.
David Greco, a 51-year-old who lives in the Philadelphia suburb of Gloucester Township, was targeted by Camden County prosecutors under a new state law, the "Extreme Risk Protective Order Act," that allows authorities to seize guns from a person shown to be a potential risk.
A spokeswoman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office declined to discuss the case on Friday.
Greco is fighting the Sept. 6 seizure of his Norinco SKS rifle in state court and has filed a federal lawsuit against city, county and state officials, challenging the entire statute.
After monitoring Greco's social media for months, "respondent has threatened, advocated and celebrated the killing of Jewish people and has celebrated the mass shootings in Pittsburgh and New Zealand," according to Greco's federal lawsuit which quotes a court order to disarm him.
Greco's lawyer, Albert J. Rescinio, acknowledged that his client's language can be coarse but insisted the New Jersey bus driver is not dangerous.
"There is not a direct threat to take some kind of physical action," Rescinio told NBC News.
Asked if his client dislikes Jewish people, Rescinio said: "Not specifically."
