a day ago
Charges: Man who allegedly made threats to Capitol, Mayo Clinic had arsenal of guns
Charges: Man who allegedly made threats to Capitol, Mayo Clinic had arsenal of guns originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
A 22-year-old man from southern Minnesota is facing numerous weapons charges after witnesses told police that he allegedly threatened to deploy pipe bombs at the Mayo Clinic Gonda building in Rochester and at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Jonathan Julio Nique, of Austin, told police that he was joking about blowing up buildings. For that, he wasn't charged. But he is facing eight counts of possessing guns without serial numbers after police searched his home and found around 30 guns and loads of ammunition.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Mower County District Court, the person who reported Nique's behavior told authorities that he saw a "device that resembled a pipe bomb" in Nique's garage, while also accusing Nique of making comments about "how easy it is to make pipe bombs and that he could blow up a building if he wanted to."
The original reporting party and another witness told investigators that Nique owns about 30 guns, including some that are homemade and others that were made from a 3D printer. They also expressed concern about Nique allegedly saying "unhinged things," including that if he could blow up a building he would blow up the Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building in Rochester, the Olmsted County Government Center, the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, and a synagogue.
The charges state that the witnesses described Nique as having white nationalist views and accused him of making racist comments, including going into "detail about what he would do to Jewish people."
One of the witnesses said Nique "is anti-law enforcement and has said multiple times that he is not afraid to shoot police if he is pulled over and run." Nique allegedly openly talked about Ruby Ridge — the 1992 standoff in Idaho that left a U.S. Marshal, fugitive Robert Weaver and his wife and son dead — and that "if cops come to his house the whole neighborhood is in danger."
Nique is also accused of injuring his hands in May when a medicine bottle with match shavings in it "blew up ... and melted his hands," prompting Nique to seek treatment at a hospital. Nique told police that he burned his hand with matches.
When police executed a search warrant at Nique's home, they found around 30 guns, including eight "ghost guns' (no serial numbers) and "several" made from a 3D printer. Three of the ghost guns "appeared to be completely homemade," the complaint says.
After the search, Nique was read his rights at the Mower County Courthouse, where he "had just been arrested" for dropping two .22 caliber rounds inside the courthouse before a scheduled hearing.
Nique admitted to owning the guns but denied making a pipe bomb and practicing with explosives. He also told police that he was "joking" about blowing up buildings,
In total, Nique has been charged with eight counts of possession of a firearm without a serial number, and one count of possession of a dangerous weapon (bullets) in a courthouse.
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
