KERRVILLE, Texas — A Kerrville man who self-identified as a terrorist was arrested in a multi-agency operation on Friday, the Kerr County Sheriff's Office said.
Coleman Thomas Blevins, 28, was arrested on Junction Highway on a warrant for a Terroristic Threat to Create Public Fear of Serious Bodily Injury. Investigators had spoken to him and confirmed his ties to extremist ideologies, and believed he was going to commit an attack.
"On May 27th, KCSO Special Operations Division intercepted a message indicating that Blevins was preparing to proceed with a mass shooting," they said. "In the message, Mr. Blevins made a specific threat that included Wal-Mart. Working with the FBI, KCSO Investigators confirmed Mr. Blevins’ capability of following through with the threat and moved immediately to arrest him."
Authorities said that Blevins is on felony probation and prohibited from possessing firearms. He's in the Kerr County Jail on a $250,000 bond, and additional charges may be filed.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, US Secret Service, FBI, and Kerrville police department all assisted in the operation. After the arrest, a search of the suspect's home found guns, ammunition, electronic evidence, and radical ideology paraphernalia including books, flags, and handwritten documents.
A photo released by KCSO included white-supremacist paraphernalia that was found in the home.
“This case reminds us that we need to always be vigilant. Many think ‘that can’t happen here’, and it was well on the way to happening,” said Sheriff Larry Leitha, “Our investigators did outstanding work in this case, and possibly saved many lives. The plot interrupted in this case is unthinkable. We appreciate the assistance of all our law enforcement partners, including the FBI, DPS, KPD, and Secret Service.”