Cambria County man arrested over alleged mass shooting threat
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Salix man has been charged after he allegedly said he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a grocery store in Cambria County while speaking in an Xbox chat.
Dylan Shaffer, 25, has been charged after an online friend from Minnesota reached out to police about a mass shooting threat that he allegedly made, according to a criminal complaint. The Minnesota man contacted the Adams Township Police Department on Feb. 18 to report the threat that he claimed Shaffer made on the gaming platform.
Officers went to Shaffer's address and spoke with him about the alleged incident. Shaffer denied making any threats and said he did not have a firearm. However, officers were given an audio clip from the Minnesota man that was recorded on the Xbox chat room.
Shoeprints lead to burglary suspects' arrest in Jefferson County
According to the affidavit, in the audio Shaffer can be heard saying that he's mad at the customers who come to the grocery store where he works. The online friend can be heard asking, 'Why would you bring a gun to your grocery store and shoot people when they did nothing wrong.' Shaffer goes on to allegedly say that they are always doing something wrong and that he wanted to hurt people.
Police asked Shaffer again if he had made any threats or wanted to harm anyone and he again denied it, which police noted was 'contradictive' to what they heard in the audio. Police also noted that Shaffer then said he just wanted to shoot fruit and was going to use a gun that he was going to get from a relative.
Officers then contacted the Richland Township Police Department due to the threat as they are the department in charge of the area where the store was located. The grocery store was closed for the day due to the alleged threats Shaffer made.
Shaffer is in the Cambria County Prison with bail denied as the 'danger to society is too great if defendant were to be released,' according to court documents. He's facing charges of terroristic threats, terroristic threats to cause serious public inconvenience and criminal use of a communication facility.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Logan Township police seek public's help identifying person of interest in Best Buy theft investigation
LOGAN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WTAJ) — Police in Blair County are turning to the public for help identifying a man believed to be connected to a recent theft at the Best Buy in Logan Township. The Logan Township Police Department released a photo of the person of interest on social media, asking anyone who may recognize the individual to come forward. The department said the man is tied to a theft incident but did not provide further details about what was taken or when the incident occurred. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Patrolman Alex Vazquez at 914-949-3364. They noted that while tips can be submitted through the department's Facebook page, the account is not monitored 24/7. The investigation remains ongoing as officers work to identify the individual in question and determine their involvement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Weare man gets 135 years in prison for sex trafficking boy, 10
A Weare man has been sentenced to 135 years in prison for sexually abusing a 10-year-old Louisiana boy, swapping expensive gifts like a cellphone, gaming system and money for sex. On May 20, Louisiana Judge William H. Burris sentenced 28-year-old Benjamin Hart of Weare to 80 years in prison on a charge of sexual battery of a juvenile under the age of 13, 35 years in prison on a charge of trafficking of children for sexual purposes, and 20 years in prison on a charge of computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile under the age of 13. Burris ordered the three sentences to run consecutive to each other, meaning Hart will be serving a 135-year prison term. Burris also sentenced Hart to six months in jail for an outburst in the courtroom during which Hart threatened a prosecutor and swore at the judge, District Attorney Collin Sims in Louisiana's Washington Parish said in a statement. Hart was convicted on the same charges in April, following a four-day trial. The jury returned its verdict after just 20 minutes of deliberation. Sims urged parents, educators, and community members to be aware of how predators target children through online gaming platforms including Xbox Live, Minecraft, Roblox, Grand Theft Auto and others. 'This case is a devastating reminder that human trafficking can start in the most seemingly innocent places — like a child's video game system,' Sims said in a statement. 'When a young child starts missing school or their grades suddenly drop, it should never be ignored. These may be red flags that something much more serious is happening behind the scenes.' Hart is also facing 14 pending similar but unrelated charges for six different victims in New Hampshire's Carroll County, including indecent exposure and prohibited computer service use. Officials in New Hampshire have been waiting for the case against Hart in Louisiana to play out before moving ahead with the local charges. According to Sims, Hart began communicating with a then-10-year-old boy over Xbox online back in 2020, before the conversations eventually moved to Snapchat, where Hart sent the boy an explicit image of himself. Officials say Hart eventually convinced the victim to meet in person, then began making regular trips from New Hampshire to Washington Parish, where he repeatedly sexually abused the victim, with much of the abuse occurring inside Hart's 18-wheeler truck. Prosecutors said between 2020 and 2022, Hart gave gifts such as a cellphone, a gaming system and money to the boy, using them to coerce further sexual acts from the child. Hart was captured in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April 2024. He fought extradition, but was found competent by a New Mexico medical examiner and judge following a hearing in January 2024, and transported to a jail in Louisiana. pfeely@
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Altoona police continue targeting drug dealers from Philadelphia — 3 more arrested
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — Altoona police are continuing to work hard to keep drugs from reaching city streets from Philadelphia. In addition to multiple other recent arrests of Philadelphia residents, Altoona police arrested three men, two from Philadelphia, Wednesday, June 4. Amir Palmer-Kennedy, 20, Xavier Herring, 18, both from Philadelphia, and Raymone Kitchens, 22, of Altoona, were arrested during a traffic stop after narcotics officers received information about a dealer driving around Altoona in a silver Chevrolet Malibu. Police were able to find the Malibu and begin surveillance. According to Altoona Police, the vehicle was seen making numerous short stops at homes and businesses throughout the city. During a traffic stop, K9 Blue indicated narcotics in the Malibu. A search of the vehicle found 17 baggies stamped with the 'Chucky' doll head hidden behind a piece of trim in the car. Police noted that a total of $800 was also found, which contained previously recorded money from controlled purchases. Philadelphia duo arrested in Altoona with drugs after foot chase Officers explained the 'Chucky' bags of drugs contain a larger quantity of fentanyl than most others and cost twice as much.. Police added they've received information since the beginning of 2025 that these specific branded drugs were coming into Altoona from an area in Philadelphia. Narcotics officers noted that the 'Chucky' bags are responsible for multiple fentanyl overdoses in Altoona in 2025. All three men were arrested and charged with possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy of possession with intent to deliver. Herring was also charged with a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia, while Palmer-Kennedy was also charged with tampering with evidence, paraphernalia and a window tint violation. Both men were placed in Blair County Prison with bail set at $100,000 however, had his bail denied due to having warrants for his arrest related to drug charges in Philadelphia that he failed to appear for, court documents show. Altoona police also thanked the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Pennsylvania State Police for their assistance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
