Police look for suspicious men from Barrett Firearms plant

Police are on the lookout for a man described as being of Middle Eastern descent who tried to gain access to a firearms plant in Murfreesboro. Rutherford County sheriff's deputies were called to the Barrett Firearms Manufacturing plant Thurday. A plant employee reported on Wednesday that a Middle Eastern-looking man had tried get inside the building Barrett Firearms makes 50-caliber rifles for the military, which has used them in combat since the 1991 Gulf war. The powerful gun is also sold to the general public. Critics have warned that the rifle could be used by terrorists to bring down commercial airliners or penetrate rail cars and storage plants holding hazardous materials. The plant worker said the man had asked questions about the plant and began demanding access when the employee did not respond. The man was asked to leave after he became upset when the employee began to examine his pickup truck. The sheriff's office was working with officials at Barrett Firearms and the US Department of Homeland Security to pursue any leads.