Phoenix man charged in shooting at Democratic office had 250,000 rounds and a grenade launcher

In less than two weeks, Arizonans and the nation will decide the next president of the United States, but experts are concerned about political violence leading up to and after Election Day, especially in light of revelations about a Phoenix man who was arrested Tuesday , authorities said, was allegedly planning a “mass casualty” event in the state.

Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, was arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in four separate incidents of political violence. Police have linked him to a series of shootings at a Democratic National Committee office in Tempe and to posting anti-Democratic signs with razor blades and bags of white powder in nearby Ahwatukee.

During an initial appearance in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday, the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office said a search of Kelly’s home found 120 guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, body armor and a grenade launcher.

Prosecutors said law enforcement believed Kelly left his home Tuesday to “possibly do something” and was preparing for a “mass casualty event.” At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Tempe police would not elaborate on what led them to believe Kelly had bigger plans, citing an ongoing investigation.

The prosecutor described him as an “absolute threat to the community” and noted the frequency of violent acts in which he is said to have been involved. Kelly is accused of first shooting at the DNC office with a pellet gun before switching to a real weapon for the third shooting.

On Tuesday, law enforcement officers monitoring Kelly observed him displaying signs that read “Democrats kill Jews,” “Democrats lie” and “Never Harris,” referring to Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. Attached to the signs were razor blades and bags of white powder with the words “Biohazard” and “F*** you!” Play stupid games and win stupid prizes! Guess the poison.”

Kelly has only been charged with crimes related to the DNC office shootings, but faces additional charges related to the signs and the powder.

Kelly’s lawyer who did this Videos of yourself at a shooting range visited by Kelly and has previously represented militia membersclaimed that the car at issue in the case did not belong to his client.

“You’re talking about a retired aerospace engineer,” attorney Jason Squires said in court Wednesday. “He’s an athlete, he has a variety of firearms as an athlete.”

Squires said Kelly’s weapons were all legally purchased and no grenades were found with the launcher, so it was just a “tube.”

The Arizona Mirror found a profile that appeared to belong to Kelly in which he said he worked for Honeywell. His lawyer said he had top secret clearances for his job until 2020.

News of the arrest and incidents comes amid early voting in Arizona — and as extremist researchers sound the alarm about the potential for political violence fueled by conspiracy thinking.

Election conspiracy groups like True the Vote, which was behind the debunked “2000 Mules” film, have signaled their intention to look at drop boxes and encourage their followers to find out what they believe is voter fraud, according to Heidi Beirich, co-founder. CEO and President of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.

Beirich and others spoke to reporters Wednesday to express concern that election denial could lead to possible violence. She said extremist groups like the Proud Boys and white nationalist organizations are spreading baseless voter fraud narratives to denigrate immigrants and minority groups, with some expressing the possibility of violence.

“Keep your guns by your side,” said a recent post from a Proud Boy group about the election, according to Beirich.

Kelly, who is facing charges of terrorism, criminal damage and more, posted baseless conspiracy theories on a Facebook page found by the Mirror. Back in 2014, Kelly engaged in conspiratorial thinking by amplifying the debunked and racist argument.Birtherism“ Claims about former President Barack Obama.

On January 6, 2021, as rioters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn former President Donald Trump’s election, Kelly changed his Facebook banner to a “Stop The Steal” logo, the movement that spread unfounded claims surrounding the election .

He also frequently posted pro-gun memes, including an Islamophobic one, and his profile picture is an edit of Kathy Griffin’s infamous photo with a severed head of Donald Trump, but replaced by Biden with the caption “That’s still funny, right?” “was replaced.

Kelly frequently criticized Democrats and posted an AI image of Trump.

The Department of Homeland Security has warned that election deniers have ties to the far right might try to bomb drop boxes or commit other acts of violence in the coming weeks.

As political violence increases, extremist researchers and experts warn against letting these ideologues prevent people from voting.

“We can work together to ensure that we do not allow those who threaten and harass us to deny us the sacred right to cast a vote on Election Day,” said Devin Burghart, president and executive director of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights , said.

On Wednesday morning in Maricopa County Superior Court, the district attorney asked that the court set Kelly’s bail at $1 million. His lawyer said the figure might as well have been a “billion” and asked the court to release his home instead.

“I am concerned about the alleged amount of firearms found at his home,” said Maricopa County Court Commissioner William Cawthon. “I don’t know what a grenade launcher has to do with (being an athlete).”

Cawthon set Kelly’s bail at $500,000 and ordered him held on house arrest with an ankle monitor on bail. He would also be prohibited from returning to the crime scenes of the alleged crimes.

A probable cause statement against Kelly revealed that he is also under two separate federal investigations. Evidence uncovered by police includes a Google search Kelly conducted for the address of the DNC office. Police also determined that Kelly “has the financial means and resources to carry out additional terrorist attacks” and frequently travels across state lines.

And the car that Squires denied Kelly owned was found on Kelly’s property, where it was covered with blankets and police noted it had recently been cleaned. Police also found two expired foreign license plates visible on the fleeing vehicle.

Kelly also researched silencers and other modifications for his weapons.

Tempe police said they became aware of Kelly through a tip after police released a photo of the car and asked the public for help. A citizen called and said that Kelly had been seen stealing Democratic campaign signs in the same vehicle in 2022.

During their investigation, Tempe police found spent ammunition in Kelly’s trash that matched the caliber of the rounds fired at the DNC office.

“Let me be clear: the judiciary has no political party,” Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy told the media. “There is no place for political threats and intimidation in the city of Tempe.”

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell reiterated McCoy’s views, adding that officials must speak out against political violence. Earlier Wednesday, her office also announced that they had stopped a conspiracy against the Phoenix Pride parade.

“Threats, intimidation or violence against political officials, regardless of political party, will not be tolerated,” Mitchell said.