A supporter of former President Donald Trump wearing a clown wig was arrested at a Dairy Queen in Pennsylvania on Saturday after threatening to “kill all the Democrats.”
The Murrysville Star reported that Jan Stawovy, 61, was reportedly carrying three loaded handguns with 62 rounds of ammunition when he was arrested by police.
According to the newspaper, Delmont, Pennsylvania, police responded to the area after a motorist called them with concern about a man wearing a yellow safety vest and a clown wig walking into a Dairy Queen location with a gun.
During a confrontation with police, Mr Stawovy reportedly said that he was working to “restore Trump as president” and “kill all the Democrats because Trump was still president.” In addition to the firearm Mr Stawovy was carrying, police said they found two more guns in his vehicle.
In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday morning, the Delmont Borough Police Department Chief Timothy Klobucar recognised the actions of one of the officers who responded to the incident, writing that “Ofc Stull detained the male and was able prevent the possibility of a mass casualty incident.”
Mr Stawovy reportedly also informed police during the incident that he is a “prophet” who has “talked to God” and was working undercover with the Pennsylvania State Police. Local television station WTAJ reported that Mr Stawovy claimed that he knew the workers at the Dairy Queen, but the workers said that their only prior interaction with Mr Stawovy came when he placed $120 on the counter earlier that day and said it was a tip for “non-Democrats.”
Mr Stawovy was arrested and is now, according to VICE News, facing multiple felony charges including carrying a handgun without a license and making terrorist threats. A data for his arraignment has not yet been set.
This is not the only recent instance of a supporter of Mr Trump’s threatening or committing violence. On Sunday, a Michigan man who believed in QAnon conspiracies and reportedly became increasingly detached from reality after Mr Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election fatally shot his wife and critically injured his daughter.
Supporters of Mr Trump have also threatened a number of law enforcement and federal officials in recents months, particularly in the aftermath of the FBI search at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. The threats and violence all come in the aftermath of the Capitol riot in January of last year, when supporters of Mr Trump stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to reverse the result of the 2020 election.
Mr Trump has repeatedly expressed measures of support for the rioters since then, and recently has begun embracing and sharing QAnon conspiracy theories and images on his social media.
There were signs on Mr Stawovy’s own social media channels that his thinking was also influence by QAnon. According to VICE News, Mr Stawovy posted messages from leading QAnon figures and conspiracy theories regarding Mr Trump. He also allegedly attended a church service in a clown costume in September.
