(PCM) Those in attendance at the Pokemon World Championship tournament in Boston are breathing a huge sign of relief now that police have apprehended two suspects 18-year old Kevin Norton and 27-year old James Stumbo, who were allegedly planning a deadly attack at the tournament.
The pair were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and additional firearm related charges. Police in Boston were alerted that the two men were travelling to the event from Iowa and had firearms in their possession based upon information that was posted on their social media channels.
Stumbo had posted a photo of himself holding up a firearm with text that read “Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds. Boston here we come!! to which Norton had commented “with killing the competition”.
The Pokemon World Championship is attended by over 5,000 Pokemon fans and over $2 million dollars is up for grabs for at least 1,000 players.
When police seized the vehicle, the two suspects were released pending a search warrant, however once obtained the police discovered one 12-gauge Remington shotgun, one DPM5 Model AR-15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife inside the vehicle belonging to the suspects.
In a statement regarding the incident and potential threat the Pokemon International Company says “Prior to the event this weekend, our community of players made us aware of a security issue. We gathered information and gave it as soon as possible to the authorities at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center who acted swiftly and spearheaded communication with the Boston Police Department. Due to quick action, the potential threat was resolved. The Pokémon Company International takes the safety of our fans seriously and will continue to ensure proper security measures are a priority.”