Latest news with #ARs
New York Post
01-05-2025
- New York Post
Extremist with huge cache of weapons allegedly swapped love notes and attack plans with school shooter Natalie Rupnow: ‘This guy was ready to go'
A Florida extremist who stockpiled a massive arsenal of guns and ammunition had chatted for months with school shooter Natalie Rupnow — sharing love notes and mutual plans to shoot up multiple locations, including churches and police departments, according to authorities. Damien Allen, 22, was found with eight guns — including fully automatic assault rifles — along with over 12,000 rounds of ammunition and grenades and flashbangs at his family's home in Loxahatchee, officials said at a press conference Wednesday. 'There is no doubt that [the investigators] have stopped a mass shooting,' Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. Advertisement 'This guy was ready to go, had all these weapons, had the propensity to do it — it was just a matter of what day was going to set him off.' 4 Damien Allen, 20, was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Loxahatchee, Florida. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Allen had been in contact with Rupnow, 15, for months before she shot up a private Christian school in Wisconsin in December, killing two and wounding six others before taking her own life, the officials said. Advertisement 'We go down together,' Allen told Rupnow in one TikTok exchange in June, six months before she carried out her evil plot, according to an affidavit obtained by WISN. 'I love you,' the school shooter told Allen, who allegedly replied, 'I love you more.' The disturbing exchanges were part of evidence that Allen'expressed support of radically and ethnically motivated violent extremism and threats of mass violence' — detailing at least seven targets, Captain Randy Foley of the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office said. 4 Police found an alarming hoard of weapons, ammo and police and military uniforms when they searched Allen's home. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Advertisement Palm Beach police received a tip from the FBI that Allen may be planning a massive attack. The search warrant executed on his family home allegedly found the weapons and ammo as well as a ballistic vest and helmet. 'Can you imagine the amount of damage he would've done with 12,000 rounds of ammunition and fully automatic ARs?' Sheriff Bradshaw asked. Unquestionably, this is one of the best arrests I've seen in a long time that has prevented people from dying — because I guarantee you he was going to do that.' 4 Police believe that Allen was planning a mass shooting. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Advertisement 4 Allen told Wisconsin school shooter Natalie Rupnow that he had targeted seven locations. Natalie Rupnow/X Allen also had three uniforms that resembled sheriff's deputies' uniforms — with a badge and nametags — as well as a Ford Crown Victoria, commonly used by police officers, set up a police-issued laptop and a two-way radio, officials said. He also had FBI, Army and Marine uniforms, along with active-duty FBI and Army credentials, officials said. 'This is disturbing that somebody could get these types of items off the internet. It baffles me to be honest,' Sheriff Bradshaw said of the outfits the suspect wore in online videos. Allen was arrested Tuesday and is charged with written or electronic threat of a mass shooting or terrorism act, using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony and unlawful use of a badge or other indication of authority. He is being held without bond at Palm Beach County's Main Detention Center, according to jail records.
Express Tribune
23-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pak-Afghan ties — thaw and thistle
The writer is a retired major general and has an interest in International Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at tayyarinam@ and tweets @20_Inam Listen to article Pakistan did reach out to Kabul in an ostensible reset of its fracturing ties with its erstwhile proteges, the Afghan Taliban. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Afghanistan on Saturday April 19, 2025, in a first high-level exchange with the Emirate since assuming office. He met Acting Afghan PM Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, Deputy PM Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, FM Amir Khan Muttaqi, etc. The focus of the delegation level talks was continuation of diplomacy to iron out differences, trade and economic relations, regional economic integration, repatriation of the Afghan Refugees (ARs), cross-border security and TTP-engendered terrorism etc. First, diplomacy and trade. Wows were exchanged to enhance bilateral ties, P2P and B2B contacts, and ensure continued engagement at all levels. Wide-ranging discussions covered CASA-1000 MW electricity project, TAPI and TAP, and trans-regional connectivity projects like Central Asia-Pakistan railway connectivity via Kohat and Parachinar, besides trade facilitation and tariff reduction. Dar successfully pursued diplomacy, especially economic diplomacy, greatly melting the ice. In offering concessions, Pakistan agreed to eliminate tariffs on Afghan transit goods for around 16 additional categories. It removed 10% taxes on 867 types of products and transit goods. The 2% Container Cross Stuffing (CSS) tax imposed by KP Government on Afghan containers is slashed to 1%. 'Bank guarantees' from Afghan traders are to be replaced with 'insurance guarantees' to ease financial burden and enhance trade. Demurrage on Afghan goods at the Karachi port is to be limited; concessions would be given to Afghans on loading and handling, besides container exchange privileges; and they would be exempted from extra duties, to incentivise bilateral trade. Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) would be finalised and implemented effective June 30. And the two committees formed earlier for political and trade discussions shall meet periodically. Second, the ARs. Pakistan stuck to its position of repatriating illegal migrants, including ARs, with respect and dignity, without resorting to forced deportations, as per its phased timeline, despite Kabul's requests to hold or slow down the process. Dar reaffirmed protecting the property and capital of ARs in Pakistan, pledging to prevent any 'arbitrary action'. Third TTP. Both sides agreed to tackle this thorny issue through an ambiguously stated 'mutual understanding and joint mechanisms'. However, potential optimism about resolution in the short-term remains misplaced, as none of the Khostwal Haqqanis, the host and benefactors of the TTP, attended the parleys. TTP and the rising terror incidents along the Pak-Afghan border, and in the settled districts, were discussed in detail, especially the involvement of Afghan nationals in such acts. Pakistan also raised the issue of cross-border movement of terrorists and smuggling. On Afghanistan's observation about miscreants entering Afghanistan disguised as ARs, Pakistan reassured Kabul of never allowing its soil to be used against Afghanistan. At the conclusion of the visit, a joint press conference by Dar and Muttaqi was held. Pakistan and Afghanistan already have a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), reporting monthly on the TTP violence and other security related issues. Pak-Afghan bilateralism is defined by constants like common religion, history, geography linguistics, ethnicity and culture etc all positive; and variables like TTP, Durand Line, Border Fence and ARs sadly all negative. During the cited talks, there has been no tangible commitment by the Afghan side on the most disruptive variable of TTP. It had been argued in this space that TTP remains a divisive issue within the IEA; and that TTP is a force-in-being for its Khostwal hosts, the Haqqanis; and at the same time, TTP is an intractable dilemma for Haqqani, given their pro-Pakistan imperatives. And that without Haqqani intercession, peace would remain elusive in KP and Balochistan. Details were covered in my piece 'Greater Qandahar, Loya Paktia and the US' published in these columns on April 3, 2025. It goes without saying that minus lasting resolution of the TTP conundrum, all other cooperation between both countries would always stand on shaky grounds. Although due to persistent efforts by Pakistan, IEA in particular Qandahar now admits that TTP is a problem, yet it remains unable, and/or unwilling or both to go for a resolution in the absence of TTP hosts, the Haqqanis. IEA discreetly seeks time from Pakistan to address Pakistan's concerns, whereas Islamabad, while showing flexibility, expects the IEA to take 'some' steps in order to prevent the TTP attacks against Pakistan. Realising the IEA dilemma, Pakistan has asked IEA to take measures, short of resorting to use of force against TTP. Some 'critical' intelligence cooperation is discerned as briefings in the JCC suggest. While continuing to conduct 'religious diplomacy' with Qandahar and applying calibrated force cis or trans-frontier when needed, Pakistan is suggested to help its one-time Haqqani assets to either cough out or gobble up the TTP bone, stuck in their neck. Serious-minded Afghanologists realise this Afghan/Haqqani dilemma. For Haqqanis and the IEA, restraining TTP attack remains the most essential confidence building measure. It is a sad reality that lack of progress on the TTP issue by Kabul and IEA's continued recalcitrance make ordinary Afghans, living peacefully for decades in Pakistan, pay the price. With no TTP hosting by the Emirate, the empathy and support for ARs within Pakistani state and society would have remained intact, bringing in the neighbourly integration between the two countries on more solid grounds. Pakistani state and society feel ARs' pain and have responded to their plight in unprecedented ways. In the changed and charged realities of real politick, the notions of treating Afghanistan as a sovereign state, and the bogey that Afghans never yield to force are, at best, historic romanticisms, without any geostrategic footing. The full potential and benefits from the 'reset' of Pak-Afghan bilateralism as optimistically expected now, would be evident by June this year, when the APTTA and the concessions offered during recent visit are put to implementation. And if and when, the TTP meanwhile could be restrained by its Afghan hosts from recommencing its terrorist violence against Pakistan. PM Akhund assured Deputy PM Dar about not allowing the use of Afghan soil against neighbours, including Pakistan. It would be interesting to see the Afghan side walking the talk. We are keeping the fingers crossed!
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Thieves steal 60 guns from South Hill, WA storage units
The Brief Authorities in Pierce County are asking for the community's help to identify two thieves who stole 60 guns and hundreds of boxes of ammunition from a Puyallup storage unit business. Surveillance video captured the Valentine's Day burglary at the Glacier West Self Storage in South Hill. SOUTH HILL, WA - Surveillance cameras captured footage of two thieves stealing 60 guns and hundreds of boxes of ammunition from a storage unit business in Puyallup, and now sheriff's officials are asking for the community's help. Video from a Valentine's Day burglary shows two thieves breaking into storage units at the Glacier West Self Storage on 160th Street in South Hill. "They hit the jackpot with the second storage unit, and start stealing all these guns, ammunition," said Deputy Carly Cappetto with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. Cappetto tells FOX 13 Seattle the crooks got away with pistols, shotguns, rifles, and ARs, as well as hundreds of boxes of ammo. The total value of the arsenal is about $37,000. Cappetto reports the crooks also stole thousands of dollars' worth of paintings. "The sheriff's office is mainly concerned that now we have 60 firearms in the hands of criminals," said Cappetto. The video shows the suspects fleeing in a white Ford F-150, without a tailgate or visible license plate. Cappetto tells FOX 13 Seattle after weeks of investigating, the sheriff's department has hit a dead end and is asking for the community's help to solve this crime. "Any gun in the hand of a criminal could be used for a variety of horrific things, anywhere from committing more crimes or selling them to more bad people," said Cappetto. Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County is offering a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides a tip that leads to an arrest and charges. You can report tips anonymously through the P3 Tips app or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Investigators tell FOX 13 Seattle the guns were all legally owned by the victim. The Source Information in this story is from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County and FOX 13 Seattle reporting. Fire destroys, damages multiple Cybertrucks in Seattle lot Family wants justice years after Graham, WA man's death Bryan Kohberger defense ramps up legal maneuvers in bid to keep Idaho murders suspect off death row Major TSA change to shorten airport security wait times, DHS says: What to know Seattle Seahawks trade DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh Steelers To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Masked robbers point ARs at guard in bold ATM heist caught on chilling video
A group of brazen thieves were seen pointing assault rifles in the face of a cash-in-transit guard before making off with large sums of cash from an ATM, wild video released by police in Tennessee shows. The heart-pounding video, taken from the guard's body camera, shows the guard opening the door of his armored truck as the base of the ATM is open, exposing several cash boxes. The incident took place at the First Horizon Bank at 140 Mitchell Road in Memphis at 8:20 a.m. on Feb. 14. The video shows a white Nissan Altima then rolling up behind the ATM before three masked and armed men swarm around the unsuspecting guard. Memphis Home Invasion Bandit Captured 17 Years After Victim Chopped Off His Finger At Crime Scene "Don't do it, don't do it!' one of the thieves barks at the guard. "Don't move," another says as they point their ARs at the guard to the sounds of their weapons clicking. The perpetrators then pull three large cash boxes out of the ATM while still pointing their deadly weapons at the guard. Read On The Fox News App They then jump into the Nissan and speed away from the scene. It's unclear exactly how much cash the perps stole, but police said it was "a large amount." California's Serial 'Snake Burglar' Set Free Under Woke Laws, Prosecutor Says The suspects are described as Black males in their mid-20s who are still at large, police said. One suspect is around 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a thin build and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, red gloves and a black ski mask. The second suspect is 5 feet 11 inches tall, with an average build and was wearing a red and white "Coke" labeled jacket, blue jeans, gray gloves, and a black ski mask. Click To Get The Fox News App The third suspect is 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, red gloves and a black ski mask. The Memphis Police Department said the investigation is ongoing. The incident comes despite crime dropping in the city last year. Total crime decreased by 13.3% compared to 2023, with homicides down by 30% and motor vehicle thefts reduced by 39%, according to citing police article source: Masked robbers point ARs at guard in bold ATM heist caught on chilling video
Fox News
20-02-2025
- Fox News
Masked robbers point ARs at guard in bold ATM heist caught on chilling video
A group of brazen thieves were seen pointing assault rifles in the face of a cash-in-transit guard before making off with large sums of cash from an ATM, wild video released by police in Tennessee shows. The heart-pounding video, taken from the guard's body camera, shows the guard opening the door of his armored truck as the base of the ATM is open, exposing several cash boxes. The incident took place at the First Horizon Bank at 140 Mitchell Road in Memphis at 8:20 a.m. on Feb. 14. The video shows a white Nissan Altima then rolling up behind the ATM before three masked and armed men swarm around the unsuspecting guard. "Don't do it, don't do it!' one of the thieves barks at the guard. "Don't move," another says as they point their ARs at the guard to the sounds of their weapons clicking. The perpetrators then pull three large cash boxes out of the ATM while still pointing their deadly weapons at the guard. They then jump into the Nissan and speed away from the scene. It's unclear exactly how much cash the perps stole, but police said it was "a large amount." The suspects are described as Black males in their mid-20s who are still at large, police said. One suspect is around 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a thin build and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, red gloves and a black ski mask. The second suspect is 5 feet 11 inches tall, with an average build and was wearing a red and white "Coke" labeled jacket, blue jeans, gray gloves, and a black ski mask. The third suspect is 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, red gloves and a black ski mask. The Memphis Police Department said the investigation is ongoing. The incident comes despite crime dropping in the city last year. Total crime decreased by 13.3% compared to 2023, with homicides down by 30% and motor vehicle thefts reduced by 39%, according to citing police data.
