NEWTOWN, Conn. – Law enforcement has arrested a suspect in Palm Beach County, Florida for allegedly plotting a mass shooting. After local officers received an FBI Guardian Tip that an individual was posting threats online about committing a mass shooting, a search warrant was executed which revealed a shocking level of preparation and intent.
Investigators reportedly found the suspect in possession of more than a dozen firearms, including some that may be automatic weapons, in addition to hundreds of pounds of ammunition, multiple law enforcement uniforms, and fake ID badges. One of the uniforms was a full Palm Beach County sheriff’s officer uniform.
The Florida suspect had communicated online last spring with the suspect that committed the December 2024 school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. In that tragedy, two people were killed and six others were injured before the shooter died by suicide.
In the online exchanges with the Wisconsin shooter, the Florida suspect shared their “loadout,” tactical plans, and locations they were targeting – which included a church and a police department.
Sheriff officers have said, “there’s no doubt they have stopped a mass shooting that was going to happen,” and that the suspect was “ready to go.”
In response to this attack, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“Warning signs like the ones present in this case often surface online, and we’re grateful that law enforcement took these threats seriously and intervened. Bragging about access to weapons and discussing detailed plans for an attack must never be ignored. Many previous mass shooters displayed similar behaviors before committing horrifying crimes.
“This is also not the first time this year that a would-be shooter was reportedly in contact with a perpetrator of a previous mass tragedy. Similar details emerged after the averted shooting in Mooresville, Indiana this February, in which the suspect had written to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter in prison. As history has shown, the idolization of other shooters and mass murderers is another deeply troubling warning sign that must be taken seriously.
“This is why it’s essential to know the warning signs of violence, because they are critical to preventing tragedies and saving lives. Thanks to the awareness and quick actions in Palm Beach County, an entire community has been spared the devastating trauma of a mass shooting.”
For more information about programs that are proven to prevent violence, in addition to actions everyone can take to improve safety in schools, homes, and communities, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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