Authorities Say Shooting at Walmart Thwarted By Arrest of Texas Man
Written by SOURCE on May 31, 2021
On Friday, 28-year-old Coleman Thomas Blevins was arrested in Kerrville, Texas, putting a stop to his suspected plans to attack a Walmart in a mass shooting.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office shared the news on Sunday, revealing that he was arrested on charges of making a “terroristic threat to create public fear of serious bodily injury.” His arrest came after a week-long operation, with investigators explaining that a message from Blevins on Thursday indicated that he was “preparing to proceed with a mass shooting.” Walmart was included in part of the threat, and Blevins was arrested the next day.
Following his arrest, authorities executed a search warrant at his home and discovered “firearms, ammunition, electronic evidence, concentrated THC, and radical ideology paraphernalia, including books, flags, and handwritten documents.” Among the items in his home were white-supremacist, neo-Nazi paraphernalia.
He’s been booked into the Kerr County Jail on a $250,000 bond. Authorities noted that Blevins is on felony probation, and is not permitted to possess firearms. The FBI and other government agencies assisted in the arrest.
“This case reminds us that we need to always be vigilant. Many think ‘that can’t happen here’, and it was well on the way to happening,” said Sheriff Larry Leitha, “Our investigators did outstanding work in this case, and possibly saved many lives. The plot interrupted in this case is unthinkable. We appreciate the assistance of all our law enforcement partners, including the FBI, DPS, KPD, and Secret Service.”
