A 19-year-old man has been arrested on terrorist charges after he allegedy threatened to carry out a mass shooting at an Amazon facility in Texas.
Rodolfo Aceves was taken into custody on 27 June by San Antonio police (SAPD), who were called to the scene of an Amazon delivery facility in the city at 10.30am.
Staff told police that Mr Aceves had threatened to carry out a mass shooting at the facility on Sous Vide Way.
“Detectives were immediately notified and acquired credible information to believe the suspect’s comments were taken as a legitimate potential mass shooting threat,” the police department said.
“SAPD Covert operations, along with the SAPD Street Crimes Unit, quickly were able to locate the suspect at a different location and detain him without incident.”
An employee at the Amazon facility reportedly told police that Mr Aceves, who worked at the address, had commented more than once about wanting to carry out a mass shooting.
According to News4 San Antonio, that included him allegedly telling a coworker that the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers in Ulvade in May was an “idol”.
Mr Aceves’s father was also questioned by police, the news station said, and admitted that his son owned an AR-15 rifle that was seized by the SAPD.
Mr Aceves was charged with making a terrosit threat and is currently being held on a bond of $50,000, according to reports. It is not clear if he has entered a plea.
“This case highlights the importance of community collaboration and appropriate responses,” the police department said in a statement.
“This is the essence of ‘see something, say something’. If not for the witness who came forward, this incident could have resulted in a tragic outcome.”
