Two men who were supposed to attend the Pokémon World Championships have been arrested in Boston after threatening mass shooting at the venue.
The suspects, 18-year-old Kevin Norton from Ames, Iowa and 27-year-old James Stumbo from Boone, Iowa were held without bail, facing gun charges last Monday and is still awaiting hearing, which take place on Sept. 1.
Police discovered several weapons stashed inside the duo's car, including an AR-15 rifle, 12-gauge shotgun, hunting knife, and ammunition rounds.
According to Boston Police Commissioner William Evans in a report from Boston Herald, the men issued threats in a closed online community for Pokémon game players before they headed out to the competition venue at Hynes Convention Center.
Reports stated that Norton and Stumbo are both experienced Pokémon players and got an invite to the event.
Police superintendent Paul A. Fitzgerald, commander of Boston Police Department (BPD) Bureau of Intelligence and Analysis said last Monday at a conference that the moderator for the Pokémon online forum noticed the threats from the suspects.
Officials of Pokémon International notified the venue officials, who then reported to the police.
The suspects didn't possess any license for their weapons and the arrest was made at a hotel near Saugus last Friday.
Evans expressed his relief at a conference saying: "Thank God we were able to cut off whatever these two individuals coming from Iowa were up to."
Both Stumbo and Norton were registered for the event, according to police. Online results of the tournament indicated that Stumbo won state competition this year in Minnesota and Nebraska.
Reports also stated that the two men threatened specific members of the community and even talked about mass shootings in the chat rooms.
Police have not commented on what motivated the men to do such a thing. Defense lawyers for the two men said in court last Monday that both have jobs and neither has committed criminal offense in the past.
The investigation is still ongoing, police said.
