Boston police foiled what they said was an apparent plot to massacre attendees over the weekend at the Pokémon World Championships after two men posted photos of guns and joked about “killing the competition” at the event.
Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, both from Iowa, were stopped while trying to enter the Hynes Convention Center on Thursday, after threats posted on social media were flagged by private security at the convention center, CNN reported.
A news release from the police department said that investigators searched their car and found a DPMS Model AR-15 rifle, a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, a hunting knife, and several hundred rounds of ammunition. Both men were booked on gun charges.
In a Facebook group called “Mayhem Pokemon Crew,” Stumbo had allegedly posted a photo of the duo’s car loaded with guns with the caption: “Kevin Norton and I are ready for Worlds Boston here we come!!!”
“Good luck!” another user wrote.
“With killing the competition?” Norton allegedly wrote.
The exchange, as reported by The Daily Beast, has since been scrubbed from the page, and neither Norton nor Stumbo are listed as members.
Norton and Stumbo were listed as members of the Pokémon Masters Division. The invite-only competition, which boasts $500,000 in scholarship prizes, hosted hundreds of players from 30 countries, with thousands of spectators in attendance.
