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Police: Two Pokemon champions from Iowa stopped before they could shoot or scare Pokemon competitors at the Hynes
By adamg on Sun, 08/23/2015 - 4:00pm
Yeah, what? Boston Police report two Pokemon masters from Iowa seemed to be threatening to shoot up the Pokemon World Championships at the Hynes Convention Center but were foiled in part because Hynes security officers spotted the threat online.
Police say James Stumbo, 27, and Kevin Norton, 18, drove to the Boston area armed with a shotgun, a rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition and a hunting knife, then tried to get into the Hynes Thursday - where they were promptly stopped by Boston Police and Hynes security guards who were waiting for them.
Both Stumbo and Norton had been invited to compete at the championship in the "masters" division.
On Wednesday, Stumbo posted what police said was a threatening image in a Facebook Pokemon group:
With this note:
Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!
Because they were not packing the guns on them, they were released, but their car was seized until police could obtain a search warrant.
Armed with the search warrant, police found a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, a DPM5 Model AR-15 rifle, the ammo and the knife in the car on Friday. The two were then arrested at a Saugus hotel on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and other firearm charges; seems they did not have a license to carry the guns.
They're scheduled for arraignment tomorrow in Boston Municipal Court.
An interview with Stumbo earlier this year:
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Gotta catch 'em all.
Gotta catch 'em all.
I'm so glad that these
I'm so glad that these nudniks were caught. Given that police in Miami had to evacuate a convention space AND nearby residences due to a bomb and mass shooting threat within the past two weeks, this kind of asshattery is thankfully on the law enforcement radar.
What. The. Fuck. This story
What. The. Fuck. This story is depressing. Happy that they were thwarted, as I can only imagine how much more depressing it would be to read that they were actually successful in their evil plan. I'm pretty much at a loss for words with this one....
overreaction
upon reading the article, i dont think they had malicious intent. they were just carrying guns without a permit, which shouldnt even be a crime but whatever.
If their names were Mohammad
You would be calling for their heads.
You can't have it both ways.
And
If it was Jamal, we'd be decrying on the sad state of black youth and "thug" culture.
No, actually.
Do you read this site regularly? Stories about young black men with guns don't even raise an eyebrow, even when they actually use them to kill other people which is pretty much a bi-weekly occurrence.
You see
There's actually more to the world than this little site.
Really?? Do tell!
Please--share these other media sources that give more coverage to city gun violence and where reader outrage runs rampant.The Globe? Herald? Others? Can't wait to hear.
What else would they be
What else would they be carrying assault weapons for? Personal protection from the other gamers at the convention?
Boston's the big bad city,
Boston's the big bad city, didn't ya know?
Maybe they were crashing at a
Maybe they were crashing at a friend's house in Western Mass, and they planned to goof around and shoot bottles and cans in their backyard. That's a reason.
Why not require a permit?
To live in your home there should be an occupancy permit. To drive a car there is a permit; it just happens to be called a license. Why not require a permit for possessing weapons of mass destruction.
Oh yea the 2nd Amendment thing. Well, following the Federalist Society fundamentalist literal interpretation to its logical and only possible interpretation per the premises of the Federalist Society the only arms a person has a right to are the firearms comparable to those in 1787.
We should require a permit to
We should require a permit to publish your thoughts and opinions online.
Oh yea the 1st Amendment thing. Well, following the Federalist Society fundamentalist literal interpretation to its logical and only possible interpretation per the premises of the Federalist Society the only freedom of speech a person has a right to are the printing presses comparable to those in 1787.
You know what's depressing?
That there's such a thing as a "Pokemon Champion."
I think we all know who the real 'Pokemon Champions' here are
The Hynes Security Officers / BPD who caught 'em all.
...sorry.
Breaking:
Suspects esceape, spotted fleeing police custody, shouting, "YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BADGES TO TRAIN ME!"
It's a competitive game.
How is this any more depressing than being a chess champion, poker champion, football champion, singing contest champion, etc etc?
Pika pika
Pika pika pika pika chu. Pika chu.
If you have to ask...
Then I'm not going to try to explain. While I'm generally in favor of letting people get their freak on in whatever harmless, nerdy way they choose, grown men dressing up as little imaginary furry animals and playing games that most people outgrew in middle school isn't exactly Chariots of Fire.
That there's such a thing as
...and that the champion is old enough to vote.
Two more upstanding NRA
Two more upstanding NRA members. Scary to think that in the U.S. you can easily get a license to have those kinds of guns, but I guess there's a lot of money in them so the NRA & GOP are ok w "collateral" damage.
Yup, makes sense to lump
Yup, makes sense to lump millions of people in with a couple of jackasses.
nice try.
those millions enable these jackasses to exist.
Strange
The word "terrorist" isn't used once...
It's the Mooninites all over again
Going by the comments on the original facebook photo, I think the police suspect that there may have been no real threat of violence. They got them on having unregistered guns in their car. We'll see in they upgrade the charges.
What the police suspect
Who knows what they suspect. Could two 18-30 year olds completely forget where they put their guns and boxes of ammunition, then drive all the way from Iowa after posting about the fact that they were "ready" to go to the championships by posing their guns on their trunk, and oops, the guns were still in the trunk, but honest they thought they left them at home, even after one of them said he was ready to "kill the competition"?
Maybe.
I could think of a lot of ways to prevent any confusion of your intentions in the future. I'm sure you can too.
But, seriously, they brought guns to a Pokemon competition. A GAME. Did they think the big bad city of Boston and its urban people might force them to carry protection? Why would you carry your guns AND ammo out of state unless you thought there was a chance you might need to use them (or you're moving)?
It's not the Mooninites all over again
With the Mooninites issue, some Chicken Little suspected battery operated advertisements for a cartoon series to be bombs. In this case these guys had guns that are actually guns.
You're Right
This is not the Mooninites all over again. What I should have said is that I think the authorities do not WANT it to be the Mooninites all over again. I think they handled this, if not perfectly, then much much better than the Mooninite situation. At no point have they claimed that these guys absolutely meant to carry out these acts. Instead, they rightly pointed out that there was a potential that these threats were serious. The suspects were arrested because they violated the firearms laws of Massachusetts, which seems pretty clear cut. I don't think they will upgrade the charges unless they can make a solid case that the threats were real and not just obnoxious gamer speak. This is a far cry from insisting an intent in the face of evidence to the contrary, which is what the authorities did in the Mooninite situation.
Mooninites were about $,$$$,$$$
The Mooninite incident was driven by money. The officers who were dispatched to the scene almost certainly knew it was "not a bomb", but it was still an unknown device, so they called it in, and set in motion an apparatus powered by $2 million in guaranteed overtime.
If the public safety employees had to work for free that afternoon, instead of being eligible for OT, then they wouldn't have played along with the charade. They would have called out the devices for what they were (Light Brites), and everyone would have gone about their normal business. Instead, nobody was eager to shut off the overtime pipeline.
The question for today is how many additional police officers were put on detail because of this one non-anonymous Facebook post that probably could have been cleared up with a single phone call.
Derp
Just because you're an idiot, doesn't mean you're a terrorist.
Yeah
Particularly if you're white.
Like the South Shore pipe bomb dingbat
remember the guy who blew himself up while driving through Quincy earlier this year?
Not a terrorist, just an idiot given a huge benefit of the doubt by the police/government.
Yeah, like the Unibomber,
Yeah, like the Unibomber, Timothy Mcveigh, or the IRA. Cause we have never had white (or domestic for that matter) terrorists ever and have never called them such.
sigh
Some white people are called terrorists. However, it does not therefore follow that white people who commit terroristic acts are are referred to as terrorists as often as non-white people who commit similar acts. Thanks for playing.
Why would it
they know all of the intended targets.
I understand the stupid political point you're trying to make, but you did a shit job trying to make it.
well
school and workplace shooters also know all of their intended targets.
what's your stupid political point?
Dont have one
Kind of like your lack of a dictionary.
Terrorism - the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorism
ps. bonus word
Stupid - characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless:
That word "especially"
I do not think it means what you think it means. Note: it does not mean "exclusively". You just demonstrated that you are, in fact, incorrect. well done.
Bonus word: inconceivable - unable to be imagined
So
If someone introduces themselves to everyone on a bus and then kills them all, they're not a terrorist anymore?
Did the lobotomy hurt?
Terrorist?
From my understanding, terrorism is using violence to make a point. Usually a political point.
So far, I can't tell that these yahoos had a point, or what it is. Different that Tim McVeigh or the Charlie Hebdo nutbags.
No
Terrorism is using violence to inspire terror.
Also, I like "yahoos". It's a nice way to turn what looks like an attempt to murder a whole bunch of people into, "aw, shucks, dem Duke boys are at it again!"
"Domestic terrorism" means;
Every murderer isn't a terrorist. I'm not exactly sure why, but the distinction seems important.
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition
"Domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics:
Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law;
Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination. or kidnapping; and
Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.
Yahoos. Nutbags. Murderers. Thugs. Even (when appropriate) terrorists. All good words depending on your mood and writing style.
Maybe because this entire
Maybe because this entire story borderlines on farcical, and since they were caught we can actually laugh at their stupidity and the bat shit insanity - seriously, I don't think someone could even make this up its that far out there.
Come on, Samwell
You swore an oath to the Night's Watch and we catch you doing this?
On Wednesday, Stumbo posted
Taco Bell parking lots should be gun-free zones.
WTF
Gun free zones. Do you HONESTLY think that criminals obey the law? Gun-free zones to criminals are EASY TARGET ZONES!
In any case, I'm glad these two morons were caught and stopped. This world has enough crazies running around trying to kill and control others, we don't need more.
Like trains in Europe
Where they frown on guns?
I don't see what was
I don't see what was threatening about the message. Nutty, yes, threatening, no.
please explain
what on earth those weapons and ammunition would have to do with a pokemon tournament (in massachusetts, of all places to just decide to carry your big boy overcompensation toys)?
what would the purpose of that photo and comment be, if not a threat - or at the very least - extremely easily interpreted as such?
"Hey everybody look how
"Hey everybody look how heavily armed I'm going to be at a peaceful event for kids" isn't a threat? "Look at the hundreds of rounds of ammo I'm bringing with me for no apparent reason" isn't a threat? After all the gamergate drama and bomb threats and swatting in the community over the past week, let alone the past year plus?
I'm not part of this subset of the community but I'm banking pretty hard on there being some kind of stupid teen drama behind this. Note that "stupid" is not the same as "harmless" - see Columbine.
These guys made a threat. Whether it was meant as a "joke" or not is moot (guys are forever making hostile, threatening comments and their first response to being called on it NEVER FAILS to be "lighten up it was a joke lol" - it's never a joke until someone makes it clear they won't put up with it) because these idiots arrived equipped to commit the deed. Bet your life it was a joke? Bet your kid's life? No thanks.
Competing in a Pokemon tournament is not a constitutional right. Making credible death threats is not a constitutional right. "I was kidding lol" is not a defense. These idiots belong in prison until they understand that.
Since you bring up GamerGate:
Since you bring up GamerGate: their conference with the Society of Professional Journalists in Miami was shut down in the middle of the day due to multiple specific bomb threats, and a "mass shooting" threat against the event. These things are often bullshit from "behind seven proxies," carried out by dumb kids. Sometimes, as this particular case demonstrates, some people are dumb enough to follow-through and bring hardware.
Idiots. Idiots everywhere.
threatening to kill children is nutty? What's wrong with you?
You think two adults driving from Iowa to Boston with weapons, after posting online that they intend to execute children, isn't threatening? You're one sick f*ck. HIGHLY disturbing. I'm sure at some point you would have thought Adam Lanza was 'just nutty' too.. sure he's a gun fanatic and emotionally disturbed, but he wouldn't hurt anyone! It's people with your apathetic attitude that allows deranged individuals access to weapons. Fortunately, in this instance, there were people paying attention who alerted the authorities to these wannabe child killers, and a potential massacre of innocent lives was prevented. You would have just sat back and done nothing. Pathetic.
See something, say something
The Fox News story says that participants in the event saw the threats online on social media, and reported what they saw event organizers, who alerted the convention center and then the convention center worked with BPD. The story definitely affirms the importance of "saying something" if you see something potentially threatening.
Since no one will, I will say
Since no one will, I will say it: Thank you Boston Police Department. Thank you for thwarting a potentially dangerous situation.
No one could ever thank you men and women enough for the outstanding work you do keeping us safe, especially on this blog. Thank you so much.
Everyone involved in bringing
Everyone involved in bringing this to the attention of authorities needs to be commended, as well as BPD for taking something so absurd as the serious matter that it was. It's very likely that a terrible tragedy was averted.
Predictable
Wartortles always evolve into blastoises
This is what happens to a
This is what happens to a child of the 1990s who probably spent 90% of his time playing with their gameboy video games, pokeman, do we blame their parents how about the video game industry.
How about blaming the NRA
How about blaming the NRA (and their political wing the GOP), you know the ones who inspire/encourage people to live in constant terror and carry guns around everywhere.
Umm how many guns do you
Umm how many guns do you think are in Pokemon? Pokemon is from Japan which has about 10 gun homicides per year because they have reasonable gun laws unlike us.
Reasonable
LAWS, not just gun laws - you won't be let go if you're caught with an illegal gun because the cop allegedly had no right to search you (i.e. he only saw a small bag of weed in the front seat when he pulled you over for driving like a jackass, not a big bag of crack and a bunch of guns in the trunk.) That, and they don't have a huge criminal underclass armed with illegal guns responsible for vast majority of gun violence.
I was afraid the Zombie convention was attacked
When I heard that somebody tried to take an assault rifle to a convention going on. That sort of follows the theme of zombie movies and shows. Then I heard Pokemon. WTF? Is Pokemon what people in Iowa do?
You know, a lot of people
You know, a lot of people attend this event yearly with a huge contingent of little kids and their families, so let's not lose focus of what's important. A possible bloodbath was averted, and we have people ragging on the kind of people who would play Pokémon games.
I'm very much into Pokémon as well (I originally did it to share something fun with my then-8-year-old nephew) and by and large the community is enthusiastic, helpful, and happy to share in the fun of these games and everything they encompass. You should have seen how giddy some of these kids were just to be there; and some of the adults too! It's just a fun hobby.
I'm very glad and grateful our police and Hynes security were able to catch these guys before anything could have happened.
Bloodbath avoided? These two
Bloodbath avoided? These two dorks were invited to a Pokemon tournament, and drove 1500 miles from Iowa to Boston in a crappy 2000 Chevy Prizm to attend it. For some reason they decided to bring their guns, which are probably worth more than their car, and post it openly to their Facebook page.
If you're conjuring an imaginary bloodbath that was averted, then you have way too much fear in your brain.
slow clap for the armchair detective
The Columbine murderers were dorks too. So, what's your point?
Is it me
or is the suspect dressed as a Snorlax in that picture?
Boston Glob article
A quote from the Boston Globe article:
That is the image I will now always have in my head when I think of gun-grabbers. A grown human being in a children's costume whining.
Keep laughing. The appetite
Keep laughing. The appetite for gun culture among millennials and younger just isn't there; eventually the grind of time is going to remove all the people willing to defend the "right" to own weapons of mass destruction, and demographics will do what years of mass shootings and fear couldn't inspire people to do: enact rational gun laws.
Of course if you only look at
Of course if you only look at it from the knuckleheads' point of view, and their "right" to own weapons and drive them cross country to a Pokemon tournament, then the 2nd Amendment sounds frivolous. But if you look at it as a long term solution towards limiting the power of government employees and officials (who should be busy enough paving the roads and running the schools) over the people, then the 2nd Amendment makes a lot more sense.
If you look at it as a long term solution
towards limiting the power of government employees and officials over the people, the 2nd Amendment looks not just frivolous, but ridiculous.
As if owning a gun would make it easier for you to win a zoning appeal or get an iffy tax exemption approved.
The idea of an armed populace of patriots rising up and overthrowing the American government might get a very small group of fantasists tumescent, but they should stick with dirty books - they kill fewer children.
psh
they are no longer able to achieve tumescence. that's what the gun's for, silly!
Who's talking about
Who's talking about revolution? The point of the 2nd Amendment is that the decision of whether you need/want a gun is up to you. It's not a decision left to anyone else.
The NRA's error is in that they argue for why you need a gun with all sorts of practical reasons, like personal protection, hunting, revolution, whatever. Those reasons are often ridiculous. The best argument for the 2nd Amendment is that the decision rests with the individual, not the government.
It's like arguing for the woman's right-to-chose with practical reasons like health, safety, etc. The best pro-choice argument for keeping abortion legal is that representatives of government shouldn't have the authority to regulate your own body. Abortion is a decision best left to the individual.
It's hard to see...
It's hard to see much when your vision is taken up by NRA propaganda, and it's impossible to hear the perfectly reasonable statement being made when your ears have been filled with NRA "OMG ZOG GUN TAKING LIBRUL OBAMA FREEDOM HATING PROTECT MAH FAMBLY" bullshit.
Held without bail
DA: Iowa Pokemon guys made specific threats to kill specific people.
straight out of central casting
Right down to the neck beard.