Weapons & Guns

The LAPD can chill, because there's no need to launch a criminal investigation into the video which seems to show someone lurking around a cop car with gun in hand ... because the people who shot the video say the gun's a fake.

The '90s rap group Brownside produced an Instagram video showing someone in a car flashing a gun as an unsuspecting LAPD cop gets out of his patrol car. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck believes the guy with the gun has a prior conviction and may have committed a crime -- carrying a firearm inside a vehicle.

But a member of the group -- Toker -- tells us his brother is the one in the video, and the gun is a plastic prop ... one of many they bought earlier in the day for a music video shoot for their single, "Till the Casket Drops."

By the Way, the group was once signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records.

Eazy would be proud.

Terror train hero Alek Skarlatos was rehearsing for "Dancing with the Stars" when he got gut-wrenching news -- his college was under attack from the shooter who killed 10 people on Thursday.

Sources at 'DWTS' tell us Skarlatos was in the middle of rehearsals with Lindsay Arnold when he got a phone call about the tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College. In addition to the 10 fatalities, police say the shooter injured at least 7 others.

We're told Alek immediately left the studio when he got the news, and was making calls back home to make sure his friends were safe.

Skarlatos, who's an Army National Guardsman in Oregon, is studying at Umpqua CC for a career in law enforcement.

Shortly after leaving the studio, he tweeted, "Everyone send prayers out to ucc."

The stars of "Street Outlaws" are dealing with a real criminal situation ... after their store was left riddled with bullets.

Oklahoma City PD tells TMZ they are still on scene investigating a shooting at Midwest Street Cars -- where "8 or 9" bullet holes were left in the building.

We're told the shooting happened Monday night -- and since nobody was working -- there were no injuries.

Sources with the Discovery show tell us armed men also showed up at the home of one of the stars -- Murder Nova -- but were scared off when he went outside. We're told there is security footage.

Cops say they don't have suspects or a motive yet.

Story developing ...

The man accused of shooting up Lil Wayne's tour bus now says the notion he'd try to off Weezy is as absurd as Drew Brees trying to kill rival QB Matt Ryan.

Lawyers for Jimmy Winfrey -- who's currently behind bars, awaiting trial for the shooting in April -- claim their client did not have a motive to hurt Wayne. The lawyers acknowledge Winfrey was an associate of Young Thug, but they say Y.T. idolizes Wayne.

The lawyers acknowledge there's rivalry in the rap game, but that doesn't mean rappers automatically want to kill each other. Winfrey's lawyers say, "Clearly, the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are rivals because they are fighting every year to win the same division: the NFC South. Yet, this does not provide a motive for Drew Brees to kill or maim Matt Ryan."

Jeremy Renner was packing some serious heat in his shopping cart Monday after a trip to a Nevada gun store.

Among the weapons Renner picked up ... a $300 Remington shotgun, a $750 Springfield Armory XD 9mm pistol and a machete. Sorry 'Avengers' fans ... no bow and arrow.

Renner's a huge gun collector ... his estranged wife made a big deal about his firearm collection in their custody war during his divorce.

The next stop ... likely Renner's 16-acre ranch outside Reno where he goes to pop off. It's not where you want to be caught trespassing.

According to police docs, the stabbing went down at 7 AM on Labor Day ... which means it happened during the tail end of David Guetta's show. Skrillex and Diplo did not perform at XS until later that evening.

A violent fight was swept under the rug in Vegas over Labor Day, when 4 people were seriously stabbed night during a DJ's show at XS Nightclub.

Law enforcement tells TMZ, a huge fight involving around 20 people broke out in the middle of the show, leaving 4 with stab wounds. Our sources say it has all the markings of a gang fight.

We're told the injuries were serious including a punctured lung and spleen but everyone survived -- one victim admitted to gang ties and didn't want to go forward with any charges.

Disturbing photos from inside the theater where James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others are being seen for the first time.

The photos, released by The Aurora Police Department, show the severe damage done by Holmes during the 2012 shooting. We're also given a look inside his apartment where he constructed a homemade bomb.

Dan Bilzerian was the target of a burglary where the bad guys took direct aim at his sizable gun collection.

We're told while Dan was in NYC Friday night at the Electric Zoo Music Festival, someone broke a window at his Hollywood Hills home and climbed in. Cops don't know how many people were involved, but they apparently made a beeline for his gun room.

Our LAPD sources say there was evidence someone tampered with the door to the room but could not open it. The thieves left without taking anything.

As for how they knew about the gun room ... Dan posts pics of his stash on social media.

We're told he's increased security and he has a good start ... lots of guns.

Everyone knows you NEVER BRING A LOADED GUN TO AN AIRPORT ... everyone, except Dwight Howard apparently.

One of Chris Brown's fans is blaming the singer for the gunshot wound he suffered during a Bay Area concert back in January.

Paul Briley filed a lawsuit against Brown for the shooting that went down at San Jose's Capricorn Bash. In the suit, Briley says Brown failed to provide enough security.

TMZ broke the story ... 5 people were injured when the shots rang out around 1:30 AM.

Briley says he sustained permanent injuries. He points out that Brown had multiple violent incidents at concerts before the San Jose show ... and therefore, should have had more security.

11:00 AM PST: TMZ has learned the woman arrested is not a stripper, but IS an employee of the Pink Pony strip club.

Young Dro has not only royally pissed off a stripper, she says he set her up and got her arrested for weed and an illegal gun.

According to a police report, Dro was in a city near Atlanta in February when he went to a stripper friend and asked to borrow her Cadillac. She agreed, with one condition ... that he pick her up after her shift at the Pink Pony.

Dro stood the stripper up, so she used her OnStar to track down the Caddy, which she found in a parking lot. Turns out cops were interested in the car as well, because they had just seen 2 men wildly driving it. So the stripper and cops showed up at the same time.

PROBLEM: Cops saw a big bag of weed in plain view in the backseat. That triggered a search, which produced a gun that turned out to be stolen.

To the stripper's shock, cops arrested her for the ganja and the gun.

When the stripper got sprung, she filed a grand theft auto report against Dro, and cops arrested him.

An Uber would have been so much easier.

Bryce Williams, aka Vester Flanagan, the man who shot and killed two journalists live on TV today, once reported on gun control armed with an assault weapon.

The disturbing footage shows Williams holding a submachine gun in one of the several news clips where he's reporting on firearm and race issues.

11:20 PM PT -- Williams has been pronounced dead at the hospital.

Bryce Williams -- the man who shot and killed a Virginia reporter and photographer -- turned a gun on himself, but survived the shooting.

Police say they found him with a pulse, but he's in critical condition. While police were chasing Williams -- aka Vester L. Flanagan -- he put up the videos on Facebook and Twitter. One of the clips shows him walking up to his victims. Another shows him firing the deadly shots at point blank range.

Twitter and FB almost immediately suspended his accounts.

Williams claims the shooting was retaliation for Alison Parker and Adam Ward reporting him to human resources. He's not specific about why. He also claims Alison had made racist comments.

WDBJ says Williams was hired in April 2012 and fired a year ago.

Pierce Brosnan tried to board a plane Sunday afternoon with a knife in his bag, but 007 couldn't slip it by TSA agents ... who called him out on it.

A TSA official from the Burlington International Airport in Vermont tells TMZ ... it is unclear if Brosnan knew the knife was in his carry-on bag, but once they saw the weapon ... they pulled the bag aside and called over Brosnan.

The official says they gave Brosnan the option to surrender the knife, or put it in his checked baggage. He took door #2, and went on his way.

No arrest. No citation.

NFL star Jadeveon Clowney's father got busted for attempted murder following a wild west style shooting outside a South Carolina strip club.

Two people are dead and others are wounded after someone began shooting at Drake's OVO Fest after-party in Toronto.

It happened just after 3 AM Tuesday. Someone began shooting inside Muzik nightclub, where Drake was hosting the official after-party. One person was shot dead inside the club. At least one gunman took it outside the club and more gunshots filled the air.

In all, a man and women died. At least 3 others are hospitalized.

It's unclear if Drake was in the club when the shooting erupted.

It's not the first time this has happened at Muzik. A man was shot at last year's OVO Fest after-party.