Police Arrest at Pokemon Championships

[MerlinCross]

So everyone probably knows about Pokemon unless you've lived under a rock. Big franchise, large money maker, and pretty competitive if you want to crunch numbers. Some people tend to make fun of of those that enjoy this game series. But you know what they don't do? Plan attacks.

Two such people, Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, were arrested after police were informed about threats through social media. The two men had driven from Iowa to Boston, Massachusetts; which is where the event is being held. They were stopped by police from entering the event and upon finding out they had no license for 'several' firearms in their vehicle, police seized the car but the suspects were let go pending a search warrant.

When the warrant was issued, the police found the following in their vehicle: a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, a DPM5 Model AR-15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife. The suspects were arrested soon after this discovery at a hotel they were staying at. Currently they are facing unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and other firearm related offenses.

And now for some articles;
http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/29860467/2-men-arrested-with-several-guns-near-pokemon-world-championship

http://abcnews.go.com/US/arrested-alleged-pokemon-championship-threat/story?id=33265810

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boston-pokemon-world-championship-two-arrested-after-alleged-threats/

I hope at least one of these sites is a place you can/don't mind visiting.

So thoughts, opinions, ideas?

 

[tippy2k2]

It's nice to see one of these stopped BEFORE it happens for once. It feels like every day we get a report of some crazy asshats deciding to take their frustrations out of innocent people so it's nice to see a story where they were stopped beforehand.

This is one of those issues that I don't think we're ever going to fix here in 'Merica unfortunately

 

[Muspelheim]

Well, jolly good news that they got discovered and cought in time. But I really do wonder exactly what the idiots were hoping to achieve, and why on earth they thought it'd be worth the risk of being shot by a SWAT-officer. Or what connection, if any, it had with Pokemon, of all things. Might get more details when the whorepups have gone through interrogation. I'm sure that Iowa to Boston is a pretty long car trip, if nothing else, and there would've been other targets closer to home.

Wasn't there some furrycon somewhere that got gassed? Well, rather, some other whorepups dumping chlorine in a broom cupboard for giggles. I've got a sinking feeling that things like this will continue to happen. I mean, Pokemon, of all things. Of course, it'll be interesting to see where the line goes when the internet stop considering stuff like that as a funny prank.

 

[Frezzato]

What in the actual fuck?

The hell is going on?

"Ooh, those people are having fun. Let's go be assholes." It's just too bad they'll probably only get the illegal firearms possession to stick. I'm overwhelmed by the combination of shock, relief, and anger.

Maybe I'll go play something new to work on the anger bit. Syberia II maybe.

*EDIT* Huh, they were Pokemon players [http://heavy.com/news/2015/08/james-austin-stumbo-kevin-norton-boston-pokemon-world-championships-gun-threats-shooting-arrests-photos-gunmen-violence-massacre-kill-charges-mugshot-court/] after all.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Luckily the police caught 'em all before the situation evolved into something worse.

The police was, in fact, super effective.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Luckily the police caught 'em all before the situation evolved into something worse.

The police was, in fact, super effective.

OT: Seriously though, I'm glad there were no deaths involved. o.o

 

[Sniper Team 4]

So...Pokemon now, huh? Why? I guess 'crazy' doesn't need a reason, but still...

Bronies next then? Do I need to start watching my back because of T-Shirts and a hoodie that I wear? This is insane. People are insane. And if this had gone differently, there would be people out there shouting that "Everyone in that convention should have been armed, and then it wouldn't have happened!" This entire world is insane.

 

[Queen Michael]

Hoooboy. I'm glad the boys in blue stopped it before it got bad. Last thing we need's another news story that our grandmas can watch and later go "I don't like those video game things. There was something about people being shot for them on the news. It's terrible."

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

A medal to Officer Jenny for stopping a potential tragedy just as bad as a school shooting. May the perpetrators get every possible punishment due to them.

Ten years ago, I believed there was no such thing as evil, just angry, confused people venting their own pain. We live (most of us) and learn.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

...Jesus Christ, what the fuck were these guys trying to do?!?! I'm glad they were stopped in time, but why a Pokémon tournament of all things?! Shit like this is why I prefer fantasies like Pokémon to reality...

 

[Bat Vader]

Even on the slight off chance the person meant is as a joke it was a really fucking stupid thing to post on FaceBook. Considering what was found inside the car I am going to assume with 99.9% accuracy that it wasn't a joke. Hopefully these two are punished within the full extent of the law.

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Thankfully people are stupid enough to let chatter of their impending attacks flutter around on social media. Hopefully this behavior will lead to future arrests in similar situations, thus preventing further mass shooting incidents. Also props to the investigators and police that caught these pricks before they could do something horrifying. I'm no Massachusetts attorney, but I doubt that the booking illegal firearms charges are all these guys are gonna face, I'm willing to bet they'll catch conspiracy to commit murder, if not potentially terrorism charges. Here's to hoping they continue their stupidity and refuse to take a plea deal, or better yet, lets hope no plea deal is even offered and they get convicted on all current and further charges.

 

[cryogeist]

Only a single mag for the AR? They didn't really plan ahead, huh? That's barely even a mediocre range trip!
In all seriousness, good on the police for stopping them, but... what pissed them off enough to want to shoot up a Pokemon tournament?

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

what pissed them off enough to want to shoot up a Pokemon tournament?

My best guess would be that because the tournament was an invitational and they weren't invited, they can't pokemon good enough to play in the majors. So they felt slighted, that they were better than those who did get invited, so they decided to shoot the place up as vengeance for the insult of not being invited.

 

[Something Amyss]

So...Pokemon now, huh? Why? I guess 'crazy' doesn't need a reason, but still...

Bronies next then? Do I need to start watching my back because of T-Shirts and a hoodie that I wear? This is insane. People are insane. And if this had gone differently, there would be people out there shouting that "Everyone in that convention should have been armed, and then it wouldn't have happened!" This entire world is insane.

Didn't bronies already get attacked? I know there was a furry con, but I also thought there was a brony incident.

Also, OT: WHY?

 

[Something Amyss]

what pissed them off enough to want to shoot up a Pokemon tournament?

My best guess would be that because the tournament was an invitational and they weren't invited, they can't pokemon good enough to play in the majors. So they felt slighted, that they were better than those who did get invited, so they decided to shoot the place up as vengeance for the insult of not being invited.

Alternatively, it's cheaper to shoot a Pokémon and make a hat than pay those exorbitant prices.

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

what pissed them off enough to want to shoot up a Pokemon tournament?

My best guess would be that because the tournament was an invitational and they weren't invited, they can't pokemon good enough to play in the majors. So they felt slighted, that they were better than those who did get invited, so they decided to shoot the place up as vengeance for the insult of not being invited.

Alternatively, it's cheaper to shoot a Pokémon and make a hat than pay those exorbitant prices.

Great now the thought I have stuck in my head is to take a Pikachu plushie out to a range with a .22, shoot it, and make some strange Pikachu coonskin-style cap out of; "the electric varmint that I shot."

 

[Something Amyss]

Great now the thought I have stuck in my head is to take a Pikachu plushie out to a range with a .22, shoot it, and make some strange Pikachu coonskin-style cap out of; "the electric varmint that I shot."

In many parts of the world, Pikachu are branded pests, so you could get away with it.

 

[Bat Vader]

what pissed them off enough to want to shoot up a Pokemon tournament?

My best guess would be that because the tournament was an invitational and they weren't invited, they can't pokemon good enough to play in the majors. So they felt slighted, that they were better than those who did get invited, so they decided to shoot the place up as vengeance for the insult of not being invited.

They were invited to play in the Masters Division of the Tournament. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/08/potential_massacre_averted_at_pokemon_world_championships

That's what this article says anyway.