DOJ: Savage man charged with gun crimes praised mass shooters, sought to join Nazi groups – #terror #TheBase

A Savage man who allegedly praised mass shootings and sought to join neo-Nazi terrorist groups has been charged with illegally possessing a variety of weapons, and trying to obtain machine guns and hand grenades. That’s according to the Department of Justice, which says River William Smith, 20, of Savage, also made claims he was preparing for a “violent exchange with police.” Smith, who has been charged with federal weapons crimes, allegedly sympathized with the Parkland High School shooter in Florida and showed “admiration” for the recent shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub, in which five people died, calling the shooter “a hero.” A concerned citizen reported Smith’s behavior to the FBI as “disturbing,” saying that Smith would show up to a gun range wearing “heavy-duty body armor” and would practice rapid reloads of his weapons “excessively.” Federal court files state Smith would fire “300 rounds in 20 minutes.” Another tip made in September at a Prior Lake gun club noted that Smith’s attire of tactical black gear and body armor was “very unusual for the gun club.” According to an investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, it was learned Smith had access to a variety of weapons that were bought for him by his grandmother, as he’s not of age to do so. The weaponry included: Fully automatic rifles Handguns Shotgun Suppressors Body armor Kevlar helmet Ammunition “Smith stated he was preparing to fight the police and was dedicated to dying in that fight,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Charges state that in 2019, when Smith was 17, he was involved in an incident in which he fired three rounds from an AK-47-style assault rifle inside a home. One of the shots went through a door and struck his grandmother, injuring her. According to Minnesota law, a person must be 21 years of age or older to legally purchase handgun ammunition. Smith possessed two handguns and an AR-style rifle made by gun manufacturer Daniel Defense, the maker of weapons involved in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting and most recently the Uvalde Elementary School mass shooting in Texas. A search warrant found internet searches by Smith about “Adolf Hitler, the Nazi SS, and videos of homosexuals being killed.” Authorities also found computer files related to building a bomb and manufacturing homemade firearms and graphics that showed how to create a fully automatic firearm. In text messages, Smith allegedly shared “an intense dislike of minorities, Jewish individuals, and homosexuals,” according to the complaint. He also made several threats towards police, noting: “If they tried to take my guns I would open fire.” Smith told an informant he had considered joining a neo-Nazi terrorist group called “The Base.”

via bringmethenews: DOJ: Savage man charged with gun crimes praised mass shooters, sought to join Nazi groups

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