Yes, you read that right. Two men drove from Iowa to Massachusetts with the hope of "killing the competition" at the Pokemon World Championship. We're not laughing.
According to The Daily Beast, threats of violence made over social media led to Boston police arresting James Austin Stumbo, 27, and Kevin Norton, 18, on Saturday. When they searched the duo's car (parked in a garage several blocks from the event), police found a shotgun, AR-15 assault rifle, a hunting rifle, and 250 rounds of ammunition. Thankfully, none of it was used and nobody got hurt.
Stumbo uploaded a photo of the firepower laid out on his car to the Facebook group "Mayhem Pokemon Crew." It was in the photo's caption that he made the boastful remarks to another Facebook user, Joey Faux.
Although both Stumbo and Norton were invited to attend the event, according to the Pokemon World Championship website, they were both detained upon trying to enter on Thursday. The two were eventually arrested on Saturday.
"Prior to the event this weekend, our community of players made us aware of a security issue," the Pokemon International Company wrote in a statement on Sunday. "We gathered information and gave it as soon as possible to the authorities at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, who acted swiftly and spearheaded communication with the Boston Police Department. Due to quick action, the potential threat was resolved. The Pokemon Company International takes the safety of our fans seriously and will continue to ensure proper security measures are a priority."
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