A Florida extremist who stockpiled an enormous arsenal of weapons and ammunition had chatted for months with college shooter Natalie Rupnow — sharing love notes and mutual plans to shoot up a number of places, together with church buildings and police departments, in line with authorities.
Damien Allen, 22, was discovered with eight weapons — together with absolutely computerized assault rifles — together with over 12,000 rounds of ammunition and grenades and flashbangs at his household’s residence in Loxahatchee, officers stated at a press convention Wednesday.
“There isn’t a doubt that [the investigators] have stopped a mass taking pictures,” Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated.
“This man was able to go, had all these weapons, had the propensity to do it — it was only a matter of what day was going to set him off.”
Allen had been in touch with Rupnow, 15, for months earlier than she shot up a personal Christian college in Wisconsin in December, killing two and wounding six others earlier than taking her personal life, the officers stated.
“We go down collectively,” Allen informed Rupnow in a single TikTok trade in June, six months earlier than she carried out her evil plot, in line with an affidavit obtained by WISN.
“I really like you,” the college shooter informed Allen, who allegedly replied, “I really like you extra.”
The disturbing exchanges have been a part of proof that Allen”expressed help of radically and ethnically motivated violent extremism and threats of mass violence” — detailing no less than seven targets, Captain Randy Foley of the Palm Seaside Sheriff’s Workplace stated.
Palm Seaside police obtained a tip from the FBI that Allen could also be planning an enormous assault. The search warrant executed on his household residence allegedly discovered the weapons and ammo in addition to a ballistic vest and helmet.
“Are you able to think about the quantity of harm he would’ve achieved with 12,000 rounds of ammunition and absolutely computerized ARs?” Sheriff Bradshaw requested.
Unquestionably, this is without doubt one of the greatest arrests I’ve seen in a very long time that has prevented folks from dying — as a result of I assure you he was going to do this.”
Allen additionally had three uniforms that resembled sheriff’s deputies’ uniforms — with a badge and nametags — in addition to a Ford Crown Victoria, generally utilized by law enforcement officials, arrange a police-issued laptop computer and a two-way radio, officers stated.
He additionally had FBI, Military and Marine uniforms, together with active-duty FBI and Military credentials, officers stated.
“That is disturbing that any individual may get a majority of these objects off the web. It baffles me to be trustworthy,” Sheriff Bradshaw stated of the outfits the suspect wore in on-line movies.
Allen was arrested Tuesday and is charged with written or digital menace of a mass taking pictures or terrorism act, utilizing a two-way communication system to facilitate a felony and illegal use of a badge or different indication of authority.
He’s being held with out bond at Palm Seaside County’s Most important Detention Middle, in line with jail information.
