A Connecticut man who had amassed an arsenal of tactical weapons and body armor, and who police say may have been preparing for a mass shooting, left a trail of virulently racist and anti-trans postings online.
TPM found that social media accounts registered to Norwalk, Connecticut resident Brandon Wagshol both reflected elements of the police accusations against him and contained rants against minorities.
Wagshol was arrested, officials said, after a joint FBI-local police investigation on a tip that the 22-year old was trying to import “large capacity rifle magazines from out of state.” During the investigation, Wagshol wrote a Facebook post “that showed his interest in committing a mass shooting,” leading to a raid on his house and his arrest, the FBI and local police said in a joint statement.
Police say that they uncovered a weapons cache during the raid, including titanium body armor and a combat helmet.
An Instagram account linked to Wagshol’s Facebook account shows someone who appears to be Wagshol wearing body armor and, in a separate picture, a combat helmet.
Wagshol also appears to have posted about the President on the same Instagram account, showing a bizarre meme of Trump apparently defeating Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a sumo wrestling match.
Most of Wagshol’s Facebook presence is private, but some of what he posted is publicly available.
In January 2018, for example, after Trump complained that immigrants were coming into the U.S. from “shithole countries,” Wagshol posted memes riffing on the term.
In one post, a meme appears to show the popular 23andme genetic testing kit offering consumers the opportunity to discover “which shithole country are you from?”
Posted by Brandon Wagshol on Saturday, January 13, 2018
Wagshol’s Twitter presence is far darker, and may offer hints at what drove him to allegedly amass a cache of weapons.
He appears to have maintained at least two Twitter accounts. One, under the handle @wagshol_brandon, and another, under @naughtwagshol. Both list Norwalk, Connecticut as their location, and both are linked to other social media profiles apparently belonging to Wagshol.
The 22-year old frequently used racial slurs in the posts, and appears to have been fixated both on transgender people and on the FBI.
I support transgenders' rights to be some of the first in the gas chambers https://t.co/Mkrvv74Ysg
— Brandon Wagshawle (@wagshol_brandon) April 18, 2018
I hate niggers https://t.co/o6Gmt6vxzr
— Brayden Waygshill (@NaughtWagshol) May 23, 2019
@FBI yeah some nigger stole my package for sure you definitely didn't flash your badge to the UPS guy 10/10
— Brandon Wagshawle (@wagshol_brandon) April 18, 2018
The accounts also liked a string of extremely racist posts, one of which appears to have been a reference to the KKK demolishing someone’s house.
The accounts frequently made statements about the FBI, which at times appeared to approach the level of threats.
@FBI when I get my permit I'm buying a gun from your shell company
— Brayden Waygshill (@NaughtWagshol) April 22, 2018
The @FBI field offices are across the street from Advance Auto Parts stores. They all have the same security camera and they're always pointing directly at the Advance Auto Parts because they're common robbery targets.
— Brayden Waygshill (@NaughtWagshol) May 9, 2018
Definitely don't mail any of these to the @FBI that would be an awful idea https://t.co/SQIB5gyuX5
— Brayden Waygshill (@NaughtWagshol) May 6, 2018
In one tweet, one of the accounts appears to reference the pizzagate conspiracy theory, which posited that the DNC was involved with a supposed pedophilia ring being run out of a Northwest D.C. pizza shop.
@FBIBoston I'll give you a hint the boxes marked cheese pizza aren't even in Boston anymore
— Brayden Waygshill (@NaughtWagshol) April 22, 2018
At other points, he appears obsessed with the idea that the FBI is about to indict him for some unspecified crime.
@FBI you tryna indict me or what? pic.twitter.com/z7JPHQMgsk
— Brandon Wagshawle (@wagshol_brandon) April 18, 2018
Yo @realDonaldTrump can you get the @FBIBoston off my dick?
— Brandon Wagshawle (@wagshol_brandon) April 18, 2018
In a statement, FBI special agent Brian Turner attributed Wagshol’s arrest to a “tip from a vigilant citizen,” saying that it helped them “disrupt a potentially dangerous situation.”
Wagshol has been charged with four counts of illegal possession of high-capacity firearm magazines. He is being held on $250,000 bond.
hhhmmmmm…He seems like just one more young and angry White Supremacist who exhibits exactly zero human characteristics that any sensible person would consider Supreme. He’s likely using guns, ammo, and accessories to bolster a variety of personal inadequacies and fundamental self-hatred. Shall we call it White Pathos?
Garsh [slaps knee] whoever coulda thunk that a homicidal delusional loony might identify with a hate-spewing demagogic “president”?
I hope they can round up as many crazies as possible, put them all on a boat to a remote uninhabited island and let them shoot it out with each other. After all, you’ve got to do something with all that testosterone going to waste.
Anyone else notice the Nazi flag on the table in that gun show pic?
There are a couple dozen of these guys at every Trump rally. You could bet your house on that.