An Arizona man who allegedly prepared to commit mass casualty has been arrested for shooting up a Democratic campaign office.
Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, was taken into custody during a traffic stop on Tuesday and charged with 10 charges, including committing a terrorist act, criminal damage and wrongful dismissal. reports the Arizona Republic.
Authorities say he is responsible for three shootings at Democratic Party offices in Tempe, the last of which occurred on October 6.
No one was injured in the shooting, but prosecutors say Kelly’s actions showed an escalation of suspected terrorist activity and that he was “preparing to commit a mass casualty act.”
He also could face additional charges related to an incident in which he allegedly left a layer of white powder on Democratic campaign signs and hung political signs with razor blades.
Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, has been arrested for shooting at a Democratic campaign office
Police said they began surveilling Kelly after receiving tips from the public that a vehicle captured on the Tempe campaign office surveillance camera during the shootings matched that of Kelly — who was previously accused of stealing campaign signs in 2022, Police Chief Ken McCoy said at a meeting. press conference Wednesday.
Officers gathered enough probable cause to arrest him during a traffic stop Tuesday, when dozens of law enforcement personnel surrounded his truck, McCoy said.
They found numerous weapons in his car, and police realized Kelly didn’t have his cell phone on him — leading officers to believe he was on his way to “possibly do something,” according to the Arizona Republic.
Then Wednesday morning saw authorities raid his Phoenix home, as FBI agents recovered more than 120 guns and more than 250,000 rounds of ammunition. according to Fox10.
An Arizona Republic reporter also learned that guns were found in a large bathroom safe and that officers used the words “machine gun” and “silencers.”
Body armor was also found in the home, as well as BB guns and assault rifles consistent with those fired at the Tempe campaign office on September 16, 23 and October 6, according to court documents.
The Democrats later left the office for another office in an unknown location.
Police reported three separate shootings at the Democratic campaign office in Tempe on September 16, 23 and October 6.
The Democrats later left the office for another office in an unknown location
Additionally, a search of Kelly’s Google account revealed searches for the address of the Democratic Party office in Tempe and multiple searches related to the examination and purchase of various firearms and accessories, including a search for a conversion kit for a AR-15.
His social media pages also contained numerous posts about what authorities called “anti-democratic ideology,” and he made a number of small donations to organizations supporting former President Donald Trump.
Kelly was also reportedly caught posting “anti-democratic ideology signs” at several locations near his home Monday through Tuesday “using clear plastic bags containing a white powdery substance” with a label stating that they constituted a ‘biological hazard’.
One such sign read in part: “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
It was later discovered that the substance was just baking soda.
‘He wants to scare the population. He is escalating his violence and the state believes he is an absolute threat to his community,” a prosecutor said in court.
However, Kelly’s attorney argued that his client was a retired aerospace engineer who had at some point obtained a top secret clearance through his employer, according to the Arizona Republic.
He said Kelly used the firearm as a “sportsman” and that none were illegally possessed.
“I appreciate that you may be a sportsman, but it is not clear to me what a grenade launcher has to do with that,” Judge William Cathon responded. Family reports from Arizona.
Phoenix attorney Paul Weich said Kelly was previously accused of stealing campaign signs when he ran for state representative in 2022 as a Democrat
Weich hired an investigator to find out what happened to the signs, and was able to catch Kelly in the act
Kelly now faces two charges of unlawful dismissal, two charges of shooting at a non-residential building, three charges of committing a terrorist act and three charges of criminal damage.
His bail was set at $500,000 cash only, and his release order included house arrest with an ankle monitor.
“As Maricopa County Attorney, I want to be very clear: threats, intimidation or violence against political officials, regardless of party, are completely unacceptable,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Kelly was previously accused of stealing campaign signs in 2022, when Phoenix attorney Paul Weich was running as a Democrat for state representative.
He said he hired an investigator to find out what happened to the signs, and was able to catch Kelly in the act.
But despite the evidence, Weich said police did not move to arrest him and no charges were ever filed.
Weich said he now fears that Kelly’s ability to evade law enforcement at the time prompted him to act further.
“We could tell he was definitely feeling encouraged,” Weich said.
