Police seize 36 guns, ammunition from felon described as ‘prepper’

Spokane police seized 36 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition from the home of a convicted felon who was involved in a shootout with Las Vegas police in 2013.

Police received an anonymous tip last month that Robert W. Crampton, 62, was living in the 1500 block of West Cora Court with a large stockpile of weapons and ammunition. The tipster said that Crampton spoke of preparing for the “zombie apocalypse” and other doomsday scenarios, according to court documents. The anonymous source also reported seeing “cases” of ammunition in the basement.

Investigators checked Crampton’s criminal history, which showed that he pleaded guilty to battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon in Las Vegas after he opened fire on police after they responded to his home on a report that he was possibly suicidal. Crampton was wounded in the exchange of gunfire, court documents state.

Crampton was released from prison in March 2015 and moved to Spokane in November 2015. He told police Thursday after his arrest in Spokane that he bought all his weapons before his felony conviction and stored them in Spokane with a family member while he was in prison, according to court documents.

He also said he purchased most of the ammunition before his prison stay but had bought some 9 mm and .22-caliber ammunition while living in Spokane, court documents state. He initially denied any knowledge about what was in a large gun safe in his home but later provided the combination to police.

The guns recovered included handguns, rifles and at least one shotgun, according to court records. The amount of ammunition found is estimated at between 35,000 and 40,000 rounds. Ballistic vests also were found in the home, police said.

Crampton is facing 10 charges of unlawful possession of a firearm. He is being held in the Spokane County Jail on $100,000 bond.