Lee Center Man Arrested After Loaded Handgun Found on Ride at Boonville Fair

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POSTED: August 29, 2025

BOONVILLE, NY — A Lee Center man has been arrested after a loaded handgun was discovered on an amusement ride at the Boonville Oneida County Fair, according to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say the incident happened on July 25, when a patron entering the ride found the weapon and immediately turned it over to law enforcement. The handgun was loaded but no one was injured.

The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Unit took over the case and determined that 42-year-old Keith Ouderkirk had brought the firearm into the fair despite signage prohibiting weapons at all entrances. Investigators say Ouderkirk, who holds a valid New York State pistol permit, lost the gun after it fell out of his pocket while he was on the ride.

Ouderkirk was arrested on August 27 and charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Rifle or Shotgun in a Sensitive Location, a Class E felony.

He was processed and released with an appearance ticket for Boonville Town Court.