Firearms recovered after alleged threats
At this weekend’s Pokémon World Championships in Boston, local police arrested two armed men who allegedly threatened to harm tournament attendees over social media.
After catching wind of the threats on Thursday, private security at the Hyrnes Convention Center stopped two male suspects attempting to enter the event. The men, Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, were in possession of several firearms, according to police.
When Norton and Stumbo failed to produce a License to Carry, Boston police seized their vehicle and released the Iowa natives pending a search warrant. The next day, detectives recovered a shotgun, AR-15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife from the car.
Norton and Stumbo were subsequently arrested at a hotel in Saugus,Massachusetts forUnlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and other firearm-related charges.
Both men arelisted as inviteesin the Pokémon Trading Card Game’s masters division competition.
Kotaku dredged up the following post made by Stumbo on a Facebook group:
ThePokémonCompany International has made the following statement regarding the matter:
“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.”
Keeping Boston Safe: Officers Arrest Two Suspects, Recover Two Firearms after BPD Notified of Online Threats to Pokemon World Championship[Boston Police Department viaKotaku]