Potential Mass Shooting On July 4 Prevented By Tipster, Police Say

(Screenshot: 13News Now/YouTube)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Law enforcement in Richmond, Virginia, announced Wednesday that police received an anonymous tip that they believe foiled a plan to carry out a mass shooting at a Fourth of July celebration.

Richmond Police Chief Gerald M. Smith stated during a press conference that an anonymous person called to alert the police that they had overheard people discussing a plan to open fire at an Independence Day event at Dogwood Dell Amphitheater in the city.

After receiving the tip, officers arrested two men whom they believed to be roommates. The men were arrested after police found assault rifles, a handgun and 223 rounds of ammunition in their home, Smith said.

One of the men, 52-year-old Julio Alvarado-Dubon, was arrested on Friday, when the weapons were discovered, according to Smith, while the other one, 38-year-old Rolman A. Balacarcel, was arrested on Tuesday. They have both been charged with being non-U.S. citizens in possession of firearms, the police chief said.

Per NBC News, a police spokesperson said Alvarado-Dubon and Balacarcel were from Guatemala and were not in the country legally.

Smith did not say what exactly the tipster had told law enforcement or what evidence was provided that specifically led the police to Alvarado-Dubon and Balacarcel.

News of the near-attack came in wake of the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois that left seven people dead.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. In the country illegally, eh? Thanks to Biden’s failure to protect our borders!!!

  2. The legacy media is a day or two behind on this story. Fox News was all over it 2 days ago. What makes a mass shooting plot worthy of their front page coverage? The fact that the perps were illegal immigrants - and of couse that aspect is what dominates the headline writing.

  3. “The men were arrested after police found assault rifles, a handgun and 223 rounds of ammunition in their home, Smith said.”

    A suspiciously precise count of the ammo, IMO.

    Given that the cops found “assault rifles,” which is often media shorthand for AR-15s and the like, I think the “223” refers to .223-caliber ammunition for said assault rifles

  4. It’s possible these guys crossed the border under Trump’s watch?

  5. Trump stopped all illegal immigration until the Dems in congress and Antifa forced him to give the anchor babies back to their alien moms!!!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

82 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ajm Avatar for jeffgee1 Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for jep07 Avatar for tigersharktoo Avatar for christianhankel Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for commanderogg Avatar for dryheat Avatar for gajake Avatar for noonm Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for justruss Avatar for timorwig Avatar for zenicetus Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for opaquesquid Avatar for nydan516 Avatar for Scoutmom Avatar for PicMover Avatar for timbomov Avatar for Throatwarmblermangrove Avatar for xcopy

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: