Man 'preparing to commit an act of mass casualty' arrested for shooting at Democratic campaign offices

An Arizona man who was allegedly preparing to perpetrate an enactment of wide casualty has been arrested for shooting up a Democratic run office.

Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, was taken into custody during a postulation extremity connected Tuesday and was charged pinch 10 counts including committing a violent act, criminal harm and unlawful discharge, the Arizona Republic reports.

Authorities opportunity he is responsible for 3 shootings astatine nan Democratic Party offices successful Tempe, pinch nan latest occurring connected October 6.

Nobody was injured successful nan shootings, but prosecutors opportunity Kelly's actions displayed an escalation of suspected violent activity and he was 'preparing to perpetrate an enactment of wide casualty.'

He whitethorn besides look further charges related to an incident successful which he allegedly near bas of achromatic powder connected Democratic run signs and hung governmental signs lined pinch razor blades.

Police said they started surveilling Kelly aft receiving tips from nan nationalist that a conveyance caught connected surveillance camera astatine nan Tempe run offices during nan shootings matched that of Kelly - who was antecedently accused of stealing run signs successful 2022, Police Chief Ken McCoy said astatine a news convention Wednesday.

Officers gathered capable probable origin to apprehension him astatine a postulation extremity connected Tuesday, erstwhile dozens of rule enforcement unit were seen surrounding his truck, McCoy said.

They recovered galore guns successful his car, and constabulary realized Kelly did not person his cellphone connected him - starring officers to judge he was connected his measurement to 'potentially do something,' according to nan Arizona Republic.

Authorities were past seen raiding his Phoenix location connected Wednesday morning, erstwhile FBI agents recovered much than 120 guns and complete 250,000 rounds of ammunition, according to Fox 10.

A newsman for nan Arizona Republic besides heard mention of handguns being recovered successful a maestro bath safe and agents utilizing nan words 'machine gun' and 'silencers.'

Body armor was besides recovered wrong nan home, according to tribunal documents, arsenic were BB guns and rifles accordant pinch those fired astatine nan Tempe run agency connected September 16, September 23, and October 6. 

The Democrats later abandoned nan agency for different 1 astatine an undisclosed location.

Additionally, a hunt of Kelly's Google relationship revealed searches for nan reside of nan Democratic Party agency successful Tempe and aggregate searches related to nan investigation and acquisition of various firearms and accessories including a hunt for a conversion kit for an AR-15.

His societal media pages besides disclosed galore posts of what authorities called 'anti-Democrat ideology,' and he made a number of small-dollar donations to organizations supporting erstwhile President Donald Trump.

Kelly was besides allegedly caught posting 'anti-Democratic ideology signs' astatine various locations adjacent his location from Monday into Tuesday 'with clear integrative bags containing a achromatic powdery substance' pinch a explanation stating they were a 'biohazard.'

One specified motion read, successful part, 'Play stupid games, triumph stupid prizes.'

The constituent was later discovered to conscionable beryllium baking powder.

'He is wanting to scare nan population. He is escalating his violence, and nan State believes that he is an absolute threat to his community,' a charismatic said successful court.

Kelly's defense attorney, though, based on that his customer was a retired aerospace technologist who astatine 1 constituent had top-secret clearance done his employer, according to nan Arizona Republic.

He said that Kelly utilized nan firearm arsenic a 'sportsman' and that nary were possessed illegally.

'I admit you whitethorn beryllium a sportsman, but I americium unclear what a grenade launcher has to do pinch that,' Judge William Cathon changeable back, Arizona Family reports. 

Kelly is now facing 2 counts of unlawful discharge, 2 counts of shooting astatine a nonresidential structure, 3 counts of committing a coercion enactment and character counts of criminal damage.

His bail has been group astatine $500,000 cash-only and his merchandise bid included location apprehension pinch an ankle monitor.

'I want to beryllium very clear arsenic nan Maricopa County Attorney: threats, intimidation aliases unit toward governmental officials, nary matter what statement they are a portion of,  is wholly unacceptable,' Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said. 

Kelly had previously been accused of stealing run signs successful 2022, erstwhile Phoenix lawyer Paul Weich was moving arsenic a Democrat for authorities representative.

He said he hired an interrogator to fig retired what was happening to nan signs, and was capable to drawback Kelly successful nan act.

But contempt nan evidence, Weich said rule enforcement did not move to apprehension him and charges were ne'er brought.

Weich said he now fears that Kelly's expertise to evade rule enforcement backmost past whitethorn person pushed him to enactment further.

'We saw that he evidently felt emboldened,' Weich said.