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Virginia Tech student arrested after trying to buy 5,000 rounds of ammo, police say

Virginia Tech police have arrested Yunsong Zhao, 19, who allegedly had an "assault rifle" and tried to buy 5,000 rounds of ammunition, authorities said Tuesday.

Virginia Tech police on Monday arrested a student who allegedly had an "assault rifle" and tried to buy 5,000 rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

Yunsong Zhao, 19, is charged with one count of possession or transportation of certain firearms by certain persons, a university spokesperson said.

Court documents say he had an assault rifle and attempted to buy 5,000 round of ammunition. The arrest report says that Zhao possessed or transported an assault firearm while not being a citizen of the United States. The documents say he has family in China and had been in the area for six months as a Virginia Tech student.

"At no time during this investigation did police believe there was any threat to our community, nor is there one now," Virginia Tech said in a statement Tuesday. The university said that the arrest came after weeks of investigation.

Virginia Tech Police Chief Kevin Foust said in a statement Monday that police obtained an arrest warrant for a student and made an arrest without incident. The university identified the person arrested as Zhao, whose name was also on a police report made public after the statement.

He is being held at the Montgomery County Jail without bail, NBC affiliate WSLS reported.

Zhao's attorney, Jason Wolfrey, said in an emailed statement Tuesday night that there is a bond hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

"During that hearing I anticipate evidence will be presented demonstrating that the fears associated with this case have been significantly over sensationalized and there was never any threat to the community," Wolfrey said.

An arrest report also says that Zhao researched a bulletproof vest and "bought a former police vehicle that still bears some police markings and outfitted it with special bumper."

In 2007 a student killed 32 people in a shooting spree at Virginia Tech’s campus. Gunman Seung-Hui Cho, a senior at the school, killed himself.

Virginia Tech said that no alert was sent Monday after the arrest because there was no threat to the university community.