The Boston police department has announced the arrest of two Iowa gamers who posted images of automatic weapons on Facebook and then traveled to the Pokémon World Championships at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.
Eighteen-year-old Kevin Norton and 27-year-old James Stumbo were first confronted by police on Thursday when attempting to enter the event following a tip from a private security officer at the venue. That tip included the claim that the men were in possession of firearms.
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Following an investigation, the police found a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, a DPM5 Model AR-15 rifle and several hundred rounds of ammunition in the car the gamers drove to the event.
According to police, the two men were unable to produce a license to carry the weapons. On Friday, the police issued an arrest warrant for Norton and Stumbo. Both men were later found at a local hotel and arrested on the charges of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, as well as other firearm-related charges.
Although, according to the police account, the men did not attempt to enter the venue with the firearms, what may have prompted venue security officers to tip off police is a Facebook message posted by Stumbo. On Wednesday, just before leaving for the Pokémon event, Stumbo posted a photo (see below) of a car trunk covered with automatic weapons, along with the message, "Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!"
As of this writing, the post was still up on Facebook.
"Prior to the event this weekend, our community of players made us aware of a security issue," a Pokémon spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Gamespot.
"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."
While it remains unclear whether the two men had intended to do any harm with the weapons, previous posts on Stumbo's Facebook page do not appear promote violent messages, and their official presence at the event is confirmed by a list of event invitees.