Weapons & Guns

"Joker" fans hoping to dress up like the notorious Batman villain for screenings will need an change of clothes, or they'll be turned away -- at least at Landmark Theatres.

In the name of safety and security, several big theater chains have already enacted policies that prohibit moviegoers from donning masks and face paint or bringing props, but for the opening weekend of Todd Phillips' "Joker" film ... Landmark is going a step further.

CEO Ted Mundorff tells TMZ ... "We are not allowing costumes, face painting or masks by either our employees or guests," specifically for the release of the movie starring Joaquin Phoenix.

Landmark operates over 50 theaters in 27 markets in the U.S.

Regal Cinemas tells us it doesn't think the "Joker" poses any specific risk because, "We do not believe the content or the existence of any movie is a cause or a signal for violence."

That being said, a Regal rep added their theaters are in regular contact with law enforcement year-round so they always have info to help make whatever security assessments are necessary.

This all comes amid backlash against "Joker," with critics saying the film has a dangerous message ... and the potential to incite troubled individuals to commit mass shootings.

Blac Youngsta is behind bars in Houston after cops say the rapper was carrying prohibited ammo when they pulled over a car in which he was a passenger.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Youngsta and 3 friends were driving around H-Town Wednesday afternoon in a GMC Yukon -- with BY in the backseat -- when cops pulled 'em over for running a red light. We're told the officers smelled marijuana, so they searched the car and found 3 pistols and weed.

According to the criminal complaint, Youngsta is charged with felony possession of a prohibited weapon -- specifically, armor-piercing ammunition. It's unclear if the ammo was loaded in a handgun or separate.

We're told another passenger, Marcus Dion Cartwright, was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon. The 2 other people in the vehicle were NOT charged.

Blac Youngsta is currently locked up in Harris County Jail.

Porn star Bridget Powers wasted little time going on the attack when she caught her boyfriend with another woman -- she immediately woke him with a butter knife to the calf!!!

According to the police report -- obtained by TMZ -- Bridget showed up to her BF Jesse's place in the wee hours of the morning and found him asleep with another woman. She told cops she screamed at them, grabbed a knife ... and stabbed Jesse in the leg.

The other woman says she was awoken by Bridget knocking at the bedroom door before she busted in screaming ... "You sl*t, I knew you didn't love me," at Jesse.

The woman claims she saw Bridget stab him in the leg, and when she tried to restrain Bridget ... she tried to stab her too but missed. According to the report, the other woman -- who's 5'8" -- picked up the porn star and threw her out of Jesse's home.

Aaron Carter is no longer a gun owner, telling us he sold all of his firearms ... and he says he's also getting treatment, but not because that's what his family wants.

We got Aaron running errands near his home in Lancaster, CA and he told us he's done with his family after getting hit with restraining orders from brother Nick and sister Angel ... and he's also done with his guns.

Aaron tells us he's officially sold his firearms -- remember, he had at least two assault rifles, a pistol and a shotgun -- and the singer shows us the paperwork as proof. Dude means business.

Joaquin Phoenix's performance as the Joker in Todd Phillips' dark take on the Batman villain is getting huge buzz, but at least one theater in Aurora, Colorado won't be showing the film ... the venue where the 2012 mass shooting occurred.

The Century Aurora and XD is the remodeled site where James Holmes -- armed with an assault rifle and other guns and wearing full body armor -- attacked moviegoers at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 and injuring 70.

Holmes became linked to the Joker because of his bright orange hair and reports he called himself that when he was arrested ... though those reports turned out to be false.

The theater reportedly will not be showing "Joker" -- there are currently no showtimes listed and a theater employee tells The Hollywood Reporter no advance ticket purchases are available because the multiplex won't be showing the film.

It's unclear if this is out of respect, or fear of a copycat incident.

Either way, the decision to pass on "Joker" comes as family members of the Aurora shooting victims are expressing concerns about Phoenix's portrayal of Arthur Fleck, who becomes the Joker, and the violence that laces the film ...  asking Warner Bros. to join the corporate leaders who understand "they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe."

Rapper Kamaiyah had a blast at a private movie screening in a snazzy condo complex -- and by blast ... we mean she allegedly fired a gun and promptly got her ass arrested.

Police say Kamaiyah was hanging out at an apartment building in the San Fernando Valley ... where she and some friends made their way into the facility's movie screening room. Not a theater, per se ... but close enough.

Anyway, on surveillance footage reviewed by management -- and eventually by law enforcement -- a woman cops believe is Kamaiyah was seen pulling a handgun from inside her bag before letting a round go in the room. She darted shortly afterward.

Law enforcement sources tell us it appears the discharge, during the screening last month, was accidental and the gun went off as Kamaiyah was playing with it. We're told she wasn't arguing with anyone beforehand ... so there's no reason to think the bullet was meant for anyone.

According to the arrest report, obtained by TMZ, Kamaiyah wasn't arrested until just a couple weeks ago when a warrant was issued and cops located her. We're told they found what they believe to be the same gun used at the complex.

She was booked for felony negligent discharge of a firearm and was released on $35,000 bond.

Aaron Carter's family thinks they have the perfect plan in place to get their brother some serious help, but the truth is ... they don't.

Carter family sources tell TMZ ... their hope is that the protective order recently filed by Aaron's brother, Nick, is the ticket they need to get an appointment with a judge. From there, they hope to convince the judge to force Aaron into treatment.

Thing is ... there's no way legally a judge can do anything other than order Aaron to stay clear of Nick. Aaron is an adult and the decision to get help is vested in him and him alone. If he doesn't want help, there's almost nothing the family can do.

There is one thing ... in extreme, extreme cases, the family could go to court and ask for a conservatorship, where a conservator could essentially force treatment and remove any dangers from the home, like firearms. As we've extensively reported, that was the case with Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes, but in order for this to happen, there must be compelling proof the person in question can't care for themselves.

That said, our sources say Aaron's erratic behavior has set off alarm bells within his family, and they believe he's in the grip of a mental psychosis. Aaron's been publicly shaming his brother and dead sister, and his fam thinks it's a huge red flag.

Sources say Aaron's family members were behind the attempts to place him on several psychiatric holds ... something he hinted at on "TMZ Live." We're told they've also reported him to the ATF in hopes of getting his guns taken away. So far, no dice.

We broke the story ... Aaron says he's giving up his assault rifles, but not his pistol and shotgun.

As you know ... Aaron was on "The Doctors" recently, rattling off a laundry list of what he's been diagnosed with -- bipolar disorder and schizophrenia -- and showing off his medications. However, he's since walked back those claims.

Our sources say Aaron's family reached back out to "The Doctors" to see if they could get him help, but we're told Aaron refused an offer to meet with a psychologist. Fact is ... the show can't force AC to accept any kind of help.

TMZ broke the story, Nick Carter and his wife got a restraining order against Aaron earlier this week. Nick says he needed court-ordered protection from his little bro because he claimed Aaron told their sister, "I have thoughts of killing babies."

Little person porn star Bridget Powers -- who goes by "Bridget the Midget" in her movies -- got in a nasty fight that ended with her in handcuffs and her BF with a stab wound ... in the leg.

Law enforcement sources tell us they were called to a home in Vegas early Wednesday after a neighbor heard screaming and breaking glass. When officers arrived, they made contact with Powers and discovered she and her boyfriend just finished a vicious spat.

Cops say Powers stabbed him in the leg during the fight ... and he was transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Unclear if his injury is below or above the knee.

She appeared in her first adult film in 1999, and by her own account has appeared in more than 50 projects since then. She's also made appearances on "S.W.A.T." and "The Surreal Life."

Bridget now faces charges of domestic battery with the use of a deadly weapon, burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon ... all felonies.

Aaron Carter is adamant he has a right and a need to have guns -- but he now says assault weapons are overkill so he's giving them up.

Aaron tells TMZ, he believed cops were going to come to his home Wednesday and seize his guns, because his brother, Nick, got a restraining order against him and Aaron thought that would trigger a gun seizure. So, he says he beat Nick to the punch and called the cops himself on Wednesday.

Aaron says cops came to his home and assured him they were not going to take his guns away just because there was a restraining order. Nevertheless, he gave L.A. County Sheriff's deputies his 2 assault rifles to hold for him, because he's just hit the road for some concerts and is worried someone might break into his home and steal them.

But, there's more ... Aaron tells us when he returns he's going to get rid of his assault rifles for good -- maybe sell them to the gun shop he bought them from.

Aaron says he wants protection and he's going to keep a pistol and a shotgun, but he says he's off assault rifles for good.

One other thing ... the reason he says he gave cops the assault weapons while he was on the road is because he doesn't have a proper safe, but he says he's getting one quickly to secure the weapons he keeps.

An org named after Sandy Hook and dedicated to fighting gun violence just sent a powerful message as kids head back to school ... depicting a school shooting on camera.

Sandy Hook Promise debuted a new PSA Wednesday called "Back-to-School Essentials," which starts out like your average back-to-school big box-style ad, plugging everyday products that kids use on campus.

As the PSA plays out, it spirals into a twisted scene of violence ... depicting a school shooting, with students touting their products and then using them to escape and survive.

Some of the images shown here are incredibly upsetting. You see kids being shot in the background and falling to the ground, kids bleeding from gunshot wounds ... and kids ready to stab a shooter with pencils and scissors. Perhaps the most powerful moment is when a girl hiding in a bathroom stall is texting, "I love you mom." As she plugs her excitement over having her "own phone to stay in touch," she cries in fear.

The PSA ends with a harrowing message about back-to-school season ... "It's back to school time and you know what that means. School shootings are preventable when you know the signs."

Aaron Carter's ex-girlfriend says he has a warped view of the world right now -- thinking his family is out to get him ... and that his toxic fans are his closest allies.

We got Lina Valentina Tuesday night outside the Dream Hotel in Hollywood, and asked if she was concerned about her ex-BF in the wake of concerns regarding Aaron's prescription medication, gun talk ... and his mental state.

She tells us she truly is, and explains exactly why. BTW, Lina and Aaron dated for about a year before splitting up a month ago -- so she has some interesting insights.

First off, Lina says Aaron's family is not the enemy here -- this, of course, after Aaron's older brother, Nick, obtained a temporary restraining order -- which got aired out all over social media, with Nick claiming Aaron threatened to kill his pregnant wife.

Aaron denied that ... and went on to say he wants nothing to do with Nick or his family. It's just the latest sign for worry in Aaron's life.

He came on "TMZ Live" over the past couple days defending his mental state, claiming he's more than stable ... and, more importantly, NOT going to surrender his firearms. He's had a couple police visits lately too -- with attempts to 5150 him, to no avail.

However, we've learned authorities are looking into a way to seize Aaron's guns for his own good through the use of an obscure California law. Unclear if it'll work.

Nick Carter says his brother, Aaron, has left him with no choice but to seek legal protection after he claims Aaron threatened to kill Nick's pregnant wife and unborn child ... though Aaron says he'd never harm family.

According to the temporary restraining order obtained by TMZ ... Aaron has to stay at least 100 feet away from Nick, Nick's wife, their kids and other family members, specifically their residence in Las Vegas.

Nick says both he and his sister were forced to seek the order against Aaron, "In light of Aaron's increasingly alarming behavior and his recent confession that he harbors thoughts and intentions of killing my pregnant wife and unborn child."

A rep for Aaron tells us, "I am astounded at the accusations being made against me and I do not wish harm to anyone, especially my family."

Aaron responded to Nick on social media after he filed the restraining order, saying he should send a cease and desist letter while he's at it. Aaron adds he hasn't seen Nick in 4 years, and they ain't planning on a reunion.

As we've reported ... Aaron's family has been super concerned with his mental state lately, and the singer has raised concerns over his own mental stability.

Nick says, "We love our brother and truly hope he gets the proper treatment he needs before any harm comes to himself or anyone else."

Aaron appeared on "The Doctors" and at least from the show, it seemed like he's suffering from anxiety, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder and manic depression -- another term for bipolar.

L.A. County Sheriff's deputies recently went to Aaron's Lancaster, CA home for a welfare check ... and he claims they visited him again over the weekend and tried to place him on a 5150 psychiatric hold.

Aaron's been flaunting his gun collection -- he says he owns a 9mm handgun, 2 assault rifles and other firearms -- and we've learned cops are looking into an obscure law that could be used to take his guns away.

Aaron came on "TMZ Live" Tuesday disputing the notion he's struggling with his mental health, and telling his family to leave him alone.

Clearly, the feeling is mutual.

Aaron Carter's family is worried about his mental health, and so are cops. We've learned they're looking at an obscure law that could be used to take his guns away.

Aaron himself has raised concerns over his mental stability. He appeared on "The Doctors" and it seemed from the show Aaron was suffering from a multiple personality disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia and manic depression -- another term for bipolar. Aaron walked it back on "TMZ Live" Monday, saying "The Doctors" was edited to make it look like he had these conditions.

Fact is ... family members have been concerned enough that L.A. County Sheriff's deputies have gone to Aaron's home for a welfare check ... especially because he flaunts his gun collection.

Aaron says he owns a 9mm handgun, 2 assault rifles and other firearms as well.

As for the little-used California law ... it's called a Gun Violence Restraining Order. If someone owns guns and a family member or law enforcement believes the person could use a weapon to hurt themselves or another person, the family member or cop can go to court and ask for the restraining order.

A judge can take the person's guns away, and order them not to possess other guns or ammo.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... cops are looking at the law right now and deciding whether they'll go to court. And, as for the order, a lot depends on nailing down Aaron's true mental state, which is a difficult proposition because Aaron shares only what he wants to publicly share so it's hard to paint a complete picture.

Aaron Carter's arsenal isn't going to be taken from him ... at least not yet, but that could change if authorities decide he's mentally unfit to own firearms.

Carter has been erratic lately ... friends and family have been so worried they've called police to do welfare checks.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... until a court, board, commission, judge or other lawful authority determines Aaron suffers from a mental illness or condition that causes him to be a danger to himself or others, he can keep his guns.

If this were to happen, we're told Carter would possibly be asked to voluntarily hand over his weapons first, but then if he failed to comply ... ATF could seize his collection.

That said, the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ the Dept. is investigating the entire matter and dealing with Aaron's family members who have expressed concern and even alarm.

Aaron spoke with TMZ Monday, telling us cops responded to a call Sunday night and showed up at his home with the intent of taking him away on a 5150 psychiatric hold.

The singer says he warned deputies he had loaded weapons scattered around his home, but he also convinced them and a mental evaluator he was not a danger to himself or others.

He also claims he doesn't know who sent the authorities to his house, but one thing he's clear about -- he's not going to give up his guns because he says he fears for his safety.

Aaron's been adamant with us recently that he's mentally stable, despite going on "The Doctors" and rattling off that he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. When he spoke to us Monday, he refuted that and claimed he's passed all the mental health checks to own a gun.

Sebastian Telfair is FREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

... for now.

The ex-NBA star and former H.S. prodigy is out of prison just days after he was sentenced to 3.5 years in his gun case ... but there's a chance Telfair could end up back behind bars.

Here's the deal ... 34-year-old Telfair was convicted of possessing an illegal firearm stemming from a June 2017 incident where he was caught with an arsenal of weapons during a traffic stop.

He was facing up to 15 YEARS in prison for the crime ... but instead, on Aug. 12, a judge ordered him to serve 3.5 years.

Telfair and his legal team appealed the sentence ... and asked that while the process plays out, they let Telfair bail out of prison.

TMZ Sports has learned a judge agreed to those terms Thursday -- with an ankle monitor clearly a part of the deal -- and Telfair is now a free man.

Unclear how much Telfair's bail was -- we're working on it ... but we do know he was spotted with friends on Thursday.

Telfair -- who famously appeared on Sports Illustrated's cover as a high schooler -- played for several teams in the NBA from 2004 to 2015. He was a Trail Blazer's 1st-round pick in the '04 NBA Draft.

Beto O'Rourke got a rise out of an elected official from Texas when he said during Thursday's presidential debate that he wants to take assault weapons away from everyone who possesses them ... in the form of a not-so-veiled death threat.

O'Rourke gave a stirring answer to a question about assault rifles, saying, "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47," adding, "If the high-impact, high-velocity round, when it hits your body, shreds everything inside of your body because it was designed to do that so that you would bleed to death on the battlefield."

Well, that was enough for Texas Republican State Rep. Briscoe Cain, who fired back on Twitter, "My AR is ready for you Robert Francis."

O'Rourke stated the obvious on twitter, calling it a "death threat." What's more ... his team reported Briscoe to the FBI.