Authorities arrested three men in their 20s who are suspected of planning mass shootings.
What We Know:
Connecticut
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Brandon Wagshol, 22, was arrested on August 15 by Norwalk police in Connecticut after authorities received tips that he attempted to purchase large capacity magazines from New Hampshire.
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The FBI and the Norwalk Police Department began a joint investigation into Wagshol after receiving those tips.
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Wagshol also posted transphobic and racist messages on his social media accounts. On his twitter, he wrote, “I support transgenders’ rights to be some of the first in the gas chambers.” “I hate n***ers,” he wrote in another post.
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Authorities searched his residence and found a “.40 caliber handgun, .22 caliber rifle, rifle scope with laser, 4- firearm optic sites, firearm flashlight, numerous .40 caliber, .22 caliber and .300 Blackout rounds of ammunition, body armor with a titanium plate, camouflage shirt, pant and belt, ballistic helmet, tactical gloves, camouflage bag and computers,” according to a press release.
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He was charged with four counts of illegal possession of large-capacity magazines and being held on a $250,000 bond.
Florida
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Tristan Wix, 25, was arrested on August 16 after he sent threatening text messages expressing interest in committing a mass shooting.
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According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, one text read: “A school is a weak target.. id be more likely to open fire on a large crowd of people from over 3 miles away.. I’d wanna break a world record for longest confirmed kill ever.” In another text, Wix wrote, “But a good 100 kills would be nice. I already have a location…”
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BuzzFeed reported that Wix sent the texts to an ex-girlfriend, who reported them to the police.
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He was charged with a felony count of making written threats to commit a mass shooting.
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Wix does not own any firearms. He is being held without bond at Volusia County Branch Jail.
Ohio
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James Reardon, 20, was arrested on August 17 in New Middletown, Ohio after his threatening Instagram post triggered an investigation. His arrest comes shortly after the August 4 shooting in Dayton, Ohio that left nine people dead.
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In July, Reardon posted a clip of himself firing multiple rounds of ammunition with the caption: “Police identified the Youngstown Jewish Family Community shooter as white nationalist Seamus O’Rearedon.” Seamus O’Rearedon is a Gaelic equivalent of his name, James Reardon.
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WFMJ reported that Reardon is a self-identified white nationalist. He attended the infamous Charlottesville rally in 2017 and has left several anti-Semitic comments on social media.
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New Middletown Police found two AR-15s, a gas mask, body armor and rounds of ammunition during a search of his residence.
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“This is a person that has declared himself as a white nationalist. With the hate crimes and everything else going on, we want to make sure we did our part to make sure this person was taken off the streets very quickly,” said New Middletown Police Chief Vince D’Egidio.
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Reardon is charged with menacing and harassing and is being held on a $250,000 bond. He will appear in court on Monday.
So glad these men were apprehended before another tragedy occurred.
