The FBI arrested a Minnesota man who told an informant he was 'pro-mass shooting' and planned to die fighting police
FBI
- The feds arrested a Minnesota man they alleged bragged about being "pro-mass shooting."
- The FBI said that the man was arrested after he tried to buy grenades and convert his rifle into an illegal machine gun.
- The suspect allegedly told a government informant he was gearing up for a "violent exchange with police."
Federal authorities say they arrested a gun-obsessed Minnesota man who allegedly bragged about being "pro-mass shooting" after they say he tried to buy grenades and convert his AR-15-style rifle into an illegal machine gun.
River Smith, 20, was charged with one count each of possession of a machine gun and attempting to receive and possess destructive devices following an FBI investigation, the Justice Department announced on Thursday.
Smith told a government informant last month at a gun club range — where the feds say he had been wearing body armor and a military-style helmet — that he was "preparing himself to fight the police" and "was dedicated to dying in the fight with police," court documents allege.
A day earlier, Smith said in a text conversation with another government informant that he was gearing up for a "violent exchange with police" and had an "intense dislike" for minorities, and Jewish and gay people, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit supporting a criminal complaint against him.
Smith also praised the accused Colorado Club Q accused shooter as a "hero" and called himself "pro-mass shooting in general," according to the court documents.
Additionally, the FBI alleged that Smith also said that he "sympathizes" with the convicted Parkland, Florida, school shooter and that he has 11 guns, according to the court papers.
An attorney for Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider on Friday.
Smith was arrested on Wednesday after he bought three hand grenades and three auto sears, which are parts to convert a gun into a fully automatic machine gun, from an undercover government informant, the feds said.
During his first court appearance in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota on Thursday, Smith was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.