Police now say the man arrested Sunday with a carload of weapons and explosive-making materials never said he planned to harm attendees at a gay pride parade, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday, and a friend of the arrested man said he identified as bisexual.
Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks initially said on Twitter that the man arrested, later identified as 20-year-old James Wesley Howell, told an officer that he wanted “to harm” attendees at the West Hollywood event. Police called that a “misstatement” later in the day.
“It was a misstatement,” Lt. Saul Rodriguez told the newspaper. “Unfortunately, she was given incorrect information initially, which indicated that that statement was made; however, that statement never was made. He did indicate that he was planning on going to the Pride festival but beyond anything as far as motives or his intentions that statement was never made nor did any officer receive that statement.”
Howell’s arrest came right on the heels of a mass shooting early Sunday at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida that left fifty people dead. Police found three assault rifles, high-capacity ammunition and a bucket containing chemicals that could be used to create an explosive device in his car, the newspaper reported. His white Acura’s license plate reportedly included a symbol of the National Rifle Association and the words “Teaching Freedom.”
Joseph Greeson, a friend of Howell’s, told the LA Times that Howell was himself bisexual and harbored no resentment towards LGBT people.
Court records and Howell’s Facebook page, which has since been taken down, revealed an enthusiasm for firearms and a skepticism of terror attacks.
The LA Times reported that Howell, who is from Indiana, was charged there in October 2015 for intimidation and pointing a firearm at another person. After pleading guilty to misdemeanor intimidation, the pointing a firearm charge was dropped, and Howell was ordered to forfeit all weapons as part of his probation.
His Facebook page reportedly featured posts blaming the U.S. government for the Sept. 11 terror attacks, questioning whether the Paris terror attacks were a hoax and likening Hillary Clinton to Adolf Hitler.
So wait. They are worrying about a misstatement as to whether he said he wanted to harm anyone when they guy had a car full of guns and ammunition and was headed to the Gay Pride parade.
Oh he is just a mentally unstable person with a bunch of assault weapons and chemicals who believes in crazy anti government conspiracy’s, nothing to worry about.
Of course they are downplaying this – because he’s a white Christian, after all.
But hey as long as he doesn’t he wants to hurt someone… there should not be any problem at all. Who’s ever heard of white guys doing a mass shooting and hen they do they write an statement of intention and have it notarized.