California police have detained a 20-year-old man amid suspicion that he had communicated with a Wisconsin teen who killed two people at a Christian school this week.
FBI agents took Alexander Paffendorf, of Carlsbad, California, into custody on Wednesday, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
An emergency gun violence restraining order, which is allowed under California’s “red flag” law, was issued, allowing authorities to take Paffendorf into custody and confiscate his guns.
The order said Paffendorf was “plotting” with Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, 15, who shot a student and teacher to death at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday before taking her own life.
BREAKING: ALEXANDER PAFFENDORF AGE 20 OF CARLSBAD CALIFORNIA WAS TALKING TO MADISON WI SHOOTER ABOUT PLOTTING HIS OWN ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. pic.twitter.com/QXuakuP0e1
— Chaos Alerts (@ChaosAlertsOnX) December 19, 2024
Six people were wounded in the school shooting.
Details of whatever plan existed are sketchy, but authorities said an attack on a government building was discussed.
“During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building,” the order said, according to KFMB-TV.
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The order did not provide a location or further detail of what building was to be targeted.
FBI agents “saw the messages from Paffendorf to Rupnow,” the order said.
Paffendorf has not been charged with a crime. The order that allowed him to be detained and his guns taken was a civil action.
#BREAKING : Madison Christian School shooter Natalie Rupnow was in contact with a man who was ALSO plotting to carry out mass shooting at a Goverment building.
He had been messaging #Wisconsin shooter #NatalieRupnow about attacking a gov building with a gun and explosives. pic.twitter.com/iWWJ3sHtn2
— BLOODYRED (@trumpestfuture) December 19, 2024
Not long after the order was approved Tuesday evening, police descended on Paffendorf’s residence.
“They had their full guns out all over the street,” neighbor Alex Gallegos said. “There were cop cars. I’d say about 15 cops here.”
Gallegos said police removed a “black gun box.”
“I saw them carrying out the big box,” Gallegos said. “I didn’t see them arrest anybody, but they gave high-fives as it came to an end.”
“It sounds pretty wild and scary that this could happen so close to home,” he said.
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