PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The girlfriend of Palm Beach Gardens Lyft driver Gary Levin told WPTV that Levin owned a small gun and "had it Velcroed under his dashboard."
It's not clear if Levin had a gun in the car the day he disappeared and ultimately died last week.
Levin's girlfriend, Kathi Ginsberg, told WPTV that Levin always had the gun and was always very careful with it.
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What Levin might have been doing, according to Ginsberg, is not that uncommon and all in the name of safety, drivers told WPTV.
Some rideshare drivers post on social media that they "pack heat" since their safety is more important than Lyft's no-weapon policy.
A Lyft driver, who did not want to be identified for fear of losing his job, showed WPTV the loaded handgun that he keeps tucked away in his center console.
"I'm just trying to support my family and, as hard as it is to do it, being a driver, I need to carry that weapon, just to make sure I get home to them," the driver said.
Lyft's community safety report from drivers and riders found more than 4,000 assaults and 10 fatalities from 2017 to 2019.
Lyft contends that 99% of its trips occurred without any safety incidents.