Possible Walmart Mass Shooting Thwarted in Texas; Suspect Arrested

Possible Walmart Mass Shooting Thwarted in Texas; Suspect Arrested

  • Jun 01, 2021

A Texas man has been arrested and charged with a felony after authorities say that he was planning a mass shooting at a Walmart. Law enforcement in Kerr County, TX, were able to intercept the man’s plans before any violence took place, according to the sheriff’s office.

According to a press release from the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, 28-year-old Coleman Thomas Blevins, 28, was arrested on May 28, and has been charged with making a "terroristic threat to create public fear and serious bodily injury."

"KCSO investigators made contact and conversed with Mr. Blevins and confirmed his affiliation and networking with extremist ideologies," the sheriff's office said in the press release. "On May 27th, KCSO Special Operations Division intercepted a message indicating that Blevins was preparing to proceed with a mass shooting. In the message, Mr. Blevins made a specific threat that included Wal-Mart."

"Working with the FBI, KCSO Investigators confirmed Mr. Blevins' capability of following through with the threat and moved immediately to arrest him," the press release continues.

Blevins' home has been searched by local law enforcement, which revealed firearms, ammunition, electronic evidence, concentrated THC, and radical ideology paraphernalia, including books, flags and handwritten documents were seized. Blevins is on felony probation for unrelated crimes and is prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Kerr County Sheriff's office described Blevins, of Kerrville, as a "threat to national security."

Blevins is being held on $250,000 bond. He has not yet entered a plea, and it's unclear whether he has retained an attorney authorized to speak on his behalf.

"This case reminds us that we need to always be vigilant. Many think 'that can't happen here', and it was well on the way to happening," said Sheriff Larry Leitha. "Our investigators did outstanding work in this case, and possibly saved many lives. The plot interrupted in this case is unthinkable."

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