Authorities are searching for three of four men who pistol-whipped a 59-year-old man who was leaving the Orange County Gun Show and then stole more than 12 of his weapons, according to police.

Investigators said Gary McAdams from Georgia was visiting Central Florida for Sunday's gun show when he was attacked by the four men near his Ford F-150 in the fairground parking lot.

Officers said the men were apparently cruising around the gun show looking for a victim.

"They targeted McAdams possibly because his Ford F-150 was towing a trailer, but police are not sure if the men knew there were eight rifles and six handguns inside," Local 6's Jessica Sanchez said.

McAdams was beaten and then his pickup was stolen.

"When I saw that the gun was loaded, I figured if he did pull the trigger, I'm a dead man," McAdams said. "At close range, the head or any part of the body, that caliber (of weapon), I'm a dead man."

McAdams called 911 on a cell phone after the crime and officers found the men unloading the guns on Mercy Drive.

"It was obvious the men did not know how to use (the guns)," Sanchez said. "One of the rifles accidentally went off in the trailer.

Police said Jerry Griffin, 18, was found hiding in a nearby lake and taken into custody in connection with the incident but three other men remain at large.

Most of the guns were recovered by police, the report said.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.