A UCF international student who had "heavy-duty military-style rifles" and displayed "disturbing" behavior is being deported, campus police said Thursday.

Wenliang Sun, 26, of China was enrolled as a nonimmigrant F-1 international student. UCF Police said he was reported to them by university staff who said they noticed a "dramatic" change in his appearance and behavior.

He'd previously mentioned that he owned an LWRC 300 Blackout rifle and ammunition, which police said that federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed.

Also, he'd recently dropped almost $70,000 cash on a new car, sending red flags to friends and roommates, police said. Investigators also found pictures on Sun's computer and cell phone that showed him practicing at a gun range.

"It was red flag after red flag," Police Chief Richard Beary said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Although no specific threats were made, "in today's world, a person in distress who owns a high-powered firearm, we just cannot ignore that," Beary said.

The next day, UCF Police officers contacted Sun, who said he kept the rifle in an off-campus storage unit but refused to turn over the firearm to police.

"We know that if one individual falls through the cracks, very bad things can happen," Beary said.

Less than a week later, on Feb. 7, Sun bought a .308 Ruger Precision rifle and added a bipod and scope, they said.

Both firearms were bought legally, according to police — people with nonimmigrant visas can legally own firearms if they have a hunting license.

However, Sun had stopped going to classes, which was against the rules for F-1 international students. That allowed his nonimmigrant status to be revoked, making it illegal for him to own the firearms, police said.

Sun was taken into custody Feb. 7 by federal agents from Homeland Security and the ATF, a police statement said. Last week, an immigration judge ordered Sun deported back to China. He's currently still in the U.S. in federal custody.

Beary credited recent gun violence protections enacted by the Florida Legislature for allowing his department and agents to investigate and take Sun into custody. He said this was the second time UCF Police have been able to use the new protections.

"The Legislature did the right thing by giving us a tool that we will use judiciously," Beary said. "We needed that tool badly."

Beary said UCF will host a public forum at the UCF Student Union at 10 a.m. Monday, April 9 that will include law enforcement representatives and mental health counselors. He encouraged all staff, faculty and students to take part.

"Sometimes people fall through the cracks, sometimes agencies don't work together well. That's not what happened here," Beary said. "This is a case study of people who had the courage to do the right thing and everyone working together to make sure this community is safe."