Boston Police Arrest Two, Seize Weapons After Threats of Violence at Pokmon World Championships

A potential tragedy at the Pokmon World Championships in Boston this past weekend was averted by vigilant members of the competitive Pokmon community and event security. The Boston Police Department arrested two suspects on unlawful possession of two firearms and ammunition in light of threats made on social media to kill attendees at the championship event.

18-year-old Kevin Norton and 27-year-old James Stumbo of Iowa are both experienced players of the Pokmon trading card game and were invited to compete at the Pokmon World Championships. They were barred from entering the Hynes Convention Center by security after a moderator of a Pokmon related Facebook group alerted event organizers of the threat of violence. Police were later notified that the two men might have guns and the suspects’ car was seized after detectives executed a search warrant for the vehicle. One 12-gauge Remington shotgun, one DPMS Model AR-15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife were recovered from the vehicle. An arrest warrant was issued for the two suspects who were located at the Red Roof Inn in Saugus, Massachusetts. They are currently being held without bail on a number firearms-related charges and are awaiting a hearing at Boston Municipal Court.

The Pokmon World Championships is the premiere event for competitive Pokmon TCG and video games. Organizers anticipated a crowd of 5000 attendees at the three-day event including some 1000 invited players who had placed in tournament circuits throughout the year.