Officials seized firearms, ammunition and material officials described as “radical ideology paraphernalia" at the suspect's home, according to a release by the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).
A Texas man who allegedly planned a mass shooting at a Walmart was arrested by the authorities, according to multiple published reports.
Officials seized firearms, ammunition and material officials described as “radical ideology paraphernalia," at the suspect's home, according to a news release by the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). A photo of the items was also posted by the sheriff's department that included a copy of "The Turner Diaries," a novel by the neo-Nazi William Luther Pierce that depicts an Aryan uprising against the United States government, and a Confederate flag, The Guardian reported.
Coleman Thomas Blevins, 28, of Kerrville, located northwest of San Antonio, was arrested by the KCSO Special Operations Division on Friday on a warrant for a terroristic threat to create public fear of serious bodily injury, the release said.
He is currently on active felony probation and is prohibited from possessing firemans. He is at the Kerr County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha commended the investigators, the FBI, KPD, and the Secret Service for what he described as “outstanding work, and in this case, "possibly saved many lives," The Guardian reported.
“The plot interrupted, in this case, is unthinkable,” Leitha said. “Many think ‘that can’t happen here,' and it was well on the way to happening."
The seven-day operation that included the KCSO Special Operations Division, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division (DPS-CID), who all worked cooperatively with the FBI confirmed that Blevins was believed to be a threat to national security, the release said.
During the investigation, KSCO investigators say they made contact and spoke with Blevins, and confirmed his affiliation and networking with extremist ideologies.
On May 27th, KCSO Special Operations Division say they intercepted a message indicating that Blevins was preparing to proceed with a mass shooting. In the message, Blevins made a specific threat that included Walmart, the sheriff's news release said.
KCSO Investigators confirmed Blevins' capability to go through with the threat and immediately arrested him, the release said.
The FBI or other federal authorities may seek federal charges in this case, the authorities said.
"We’d like to remind the public - if you see something, say something. The KCSO, working with other law enforcement professionals, will continue to stop threats to our community, and bring those responsible to prosecution," Leitha said, according to the release.
The KCSO sheriff's department told Inside Edition Digital that Blevins requested a public defender to represent him.
