Men Charged With Plotting Attack on Pokemon Event Held Without Bail

Two men were ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing during their arraignment Monday after they allegedly made threats to commit a mass shooting at a Pokemon convention in Boston over the weekend.

Kevin Norton, 18, and James Austin Stumbo, 27, both of Iowa, will be held in prison pending a dangerousness hearing on September 1. Both men were arraigned on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawful possession of a large capacity rifle.

Boston Police were made aware of messages posted on social media that included references to weapons and threats to harm others attending the Pokemon World Championship that was held at the Hynes Convention Center, prosecutors said Monday.

In a Facebook chatroom called “Pokemon Mayhem Crew,” the men made reference to “Columbine pt 2,” “another Boston massacre,” and “Boston bombing,” prosecutors allege.

Stumbo allegedly referred to his AR-15 rifle, stating, “MY AR-15 says you lose.” Stumbo also allegedly acknowledged posting that he was “on his way to Boston” and “Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!” as the caption below a picture of Norton’s car with the AR-15 and shotgun displayed on its trunk.

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Additionally, prosecutors said that Norton, when barred from accessing a chatroom that he was banned from for bullying another individual, allegedly stated, “Oh, ok, that’s fine then I will just shoot him on Friday thanks.”

Authorities began investigating the threats and stopped the two suspects from entering the event on Thursday.

While speaking with officers, Norton allegedly stated that the men had driven from Iowa in Norton’s 2002 Chevy Prizm with a shotgun and a rifle in the vehicle, prosecutors said.

Officers obtained a search warrant and seized their vehicle. Detectives recovered hundreds of rounds of ammunition, one 12-gauge Remington shotgun, one DPM5 Model AR-15 rifle and a hunting knife, police said.

Both men were taken into custody on Saturday at a Saugus motel.

Stumbo and Norton are not currently facing charges in connection to the threats made on social media.

The investigation is active and ongoing at this time.