Boston police stop potential shooters at Pokémon World Championships

On Saturday, the Boston Police Department arrested Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, two men who’d traveled to the 2015 Pokémon World Championships with a hunting knife, an AR-15, a 12-gauge shotgun, and several hundred rounds of ammunition. Neither Norton nor Stumbo had the appropriate permits for the weapons they were traveling with.

“Security officers at the Hynes, officers in District D-4, and the BRIC immediately began investigation into these threats, and hours later, the two male suspects were stopped attempting to enter the event,” the department described on its official blog. “Detectives were informed that the suspects had driven to the event from Iowa and were in possession of several firearms in their vehicle.”

Police authorities apprehended the men after being tipped off to threatening messages the men had posted to their Facebook accounts.

“Kevin Norton and I are ready for [W]orlds; Boston here we come,” Stumbo wrote on August 19th along with a photo of the two guns splayed across the back of a car. Norton responded to the post with a joke about killing the competition.

According to BPD News, the pair were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and “other firearm related charges.” They’re scheduled to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court sometime later this year.

Though the tournament began on Friday, other attendees were not informed of the foiled plot until Sunday, after Stumbo and Norton had been arrested. Bomb sniffing dogs were deployed throughout the Hynes Convention Center where the event was being held.

It’s unclear what motivated the would-be shooters to threaten the competition, as they were both heavily involved in the trading card game competitive scene. As Motherboard points out, both men successfully qualified for the World Championships after winning regional tournaments in Nebraska and Missouri.