RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Police in Richmond, Va., said Wednesday they foiled a planned mass shooting on July 4 after receiving information that led to the arrest of two men and the seizure of multiple weapons — an announcement that came just two days after a deadly mass shooting on the holiday in a Chicago suburb.
A “hero citizen” overheard a call indicating an attack was planned during Independence Day celebrations in the capital and called police to report it, Police Chief Gerald Smith said at a news conference. The caller said the attack was planned for the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater, where an annual fireworks show is held, Smith said.
“One phone call saved a lot of lives on the Fourth of July,” Smith said.
Police launched an investigation along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, which led to the arrests of two men on charges of being non-U.S. citizens and possessing firearms, Smith said. He said additional charges are possible.
Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 52, was arrested July 1, the same day police received the tip, Smith said. He said police had placed a second suspect, Rolman Alberto Balacarcel, 38, under surveillance since that day, but initially did not have probable cause to arrest him. He was arrested Tuesday in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, and was being held at a local jail.
Police spokeswoman Tracy Walker said both were from Guatemala. Initial documents filed in Richmond General District Court say Alvarado-Dubon and Balacarcel are not in the U.S. legally. The documents state that Alvarado-Dubon’s visa has expired. The documents did not include any details of the alleged plot.
Smith said the two men lived together in a house in Richmond, where officers seized two assault rifles, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition that were in plain sight. He said police had not established a motive for the planned attack.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who joined the news conference along with members of the City Council, condemned what he called an epidemic of gun violence across the country.
“Whether you’re at home in a cul-de-sac, or in your neighborhood, or in a park, or at a parade, at a dinner party — you’ve got to keep your head spinning,” Stoney said. “And it’s not the country I know I want to live in … but those are the facts of the matter at this point.”
Court documents noted that bail was set at $15,000 for Alvarado-Dubon on Wednesday, but it was unclear if he had been released. The documents say he has lived in the Richmond area for three years and works full-time in the construction industry. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled in Richmond on Aug. 2.
Online records show Balacarcel is being held at a local jail. It was not clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
The apparent foiled plot was planned for the same day a gunman opened fire from a rooftop during a Fourth of July parade in the affluent Chicago suburb of Highland Park, killing seven people and injuring more than three dozen.
On Tuesday, Robert E. Crimo III was indicted on seven counts of murder. The shooting sent hundreds of people fleeing in fear and sparked an hours-long manhunt. Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the shooting.
Add Comment