Staten Island Fisherman Finds Taped Gun and Brass Knuckles as Silver Lake Reservoir Falls: “I Turned It Over to Police”
A Staten Island fisherman discovered a taped pistol and brass knuckles on the exposed edge of Silver Lake Reservoir after water levels dropped; Chris Sammon handed the bundled items to the NYPD, fearing they could be tied to a crime.
Key takeaways
- Local angler Chris Sammon found a tape-wrapped bundle with a pistol and brass knuckles on the newly exposed lakebed and immediately turned the items over to police.
- The reservoir’s volume fell by about the equivalent of 8.5 feet after the city paused refilling, exposing debris and long-submerged objects.
- Law-enforcement reactions varied: active officers likened the firearm to a race-starting gun, while a former NYPD gun-squad detective compared it to a Ruger .38‑caliber handgun.
- The incident highlights public-safety, trespass risks, and the unintended consequences of municipal water-management decisions.
Discovery at Silver Lake Reservoir
Chris Sammon, a lifelong Staten Island resident and regular angler, visited Silver Lake after reports said the reservoir had dropped enough to reveal parts of the lakebed. Sammon said he expected to find bottles or debris; instead he found a tightly wrapped bundle secured with heavy tape, sitting on a rock near the waterline.
Inside the package were a pistol and a pair of brass knuckles. “I turned it over to police,” Sammon told reporters, saying he feared the items might be linked to an unsolved crime. He said that if not for concerns about evidence, he might have kept the brass knuckles as a curiosity.
Reporting on the discovery appears in IJR and in coverage by Unilad, which describe the find and Sammon’s decision to contact the NYPD.
Investigation and law enforcement response
When Sammon alerted officers, NYPD secured the scene and took custody of the items as potential evidence. Initial impressions diverged: some active officers thought the device resembled a race‑starting pistol, while a former NYPD gun-squad detective who reviewed photos said it looked like a Ruger .38‑caliber handgun (IJR).
At the time of reporting, publicly available details did not indicate ownership, a direct link to a reported crime, or whether charges would follow. Standard investigative steps would include ballistics testing, serial-number checks, and searches against missing-gun and crime databases, though no public updates on those processes were released in the cited accounts.
Broader context: receding reservoir water levels
Silver Lake is managed by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The reservoir’s recorded water volume fell from about 361.5 million gallons in October to roughly 239.5 million gallons by Dec. 17 — a decline equivalent to an 8.5‑foot drop after the city paused refilling the basin as part of a conservation effort (IJR).
The drawdown revealed many objects long submerged — discarded phones, golf balls, pipe fragments and other debris — and prompted city warnings to stay away from the exposed lakebed. Despite posted barriers, some residents crossed fences to explore, underscoring both safety hazards and potential legal consequences for trespass near municipal infrastructure.
Why this matters: public safety, evidence chains and trespass
This finding raises practical concerns:
- Public safety: a weapon left in or near a public water facility is a potential hazard if ignored or mishandled.
- Evidence integrity: Sammon’s choice to hand the items to police preserved potential forensic links and reduced contamination risks.
- Trespass and hazards: exposed lakebeds attract curiosity but can present unstable ground, contamination, and legal exposure for those entering restricted areas.
Implications for Walla Walla, Washington
Although the incident occurred in New York, it offers lessons for communities like Walla Walla:
- Economic impact: shifting reservoir levels can affect agriculture, vineyards and businesses that depend on steady water supplies.
- Political considerations: the discovery may be used to argue for stronger enforcement of trespass laws and more robust protections for municipal infrastructure.
- Social and cultural effects: local outreach can emphasize reporting suspicious finds to authorities and discouraging risky or illegal exploration of exposed lakebeds.
- Practical steps: managers should consider temporary fencing, clearer signage and coordinated alerts when water levels fall or basins are taken offline.
Sources and reporting
Primary published accounts include IJR — “Dark discovery emerges from receded NYC reservoir” — and Unilad — coverage of the fisherman’s find and law‑enforcement reactions. Other aggregated or unrelated results did not add verifiable facts about ownership or police outcomes.
Police follow-up and unanswered questions
As of the latest reporting, authorities had not publicly tied the weapon or brass knuckles to a confirmed crime or owner. Typical next steps would include ballistics testing, serial-number checks against stolen-gun databases, and canvassing for witnesses. The absence of public updates leaves open whether the items will resolve a cold case or remain without connection to known incidents.
“If not for concern about possible criminal evidence, I might have kept the brass knuckles,” Sammon said — a reminder that citizens who find suspicious objects should notify law enforcement rather than handling or publicizing them.
