Ian Patrick, FISM News
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A threat of violence over the July 4th weekend in Virginia was thwarted by one citizen who is being hailed as a “hero.”
Police in Richmond, Virginia, say they received a tip from a citizen who overheard a plot to attack the Dogwood Dell amphitheater during a planned Fourth of July celebration.
Richmond Chief Gerald Smith told a press conference that the police began an investigation with the Department of Homeland Security. The investigation yielded concern, as officers seized “two assault rifes, one handgun, and 223 rounds of ammunition” on July 1, according to Smith.
The weapons and ammo were found at a residence, where police also arrested a suspect identified as Julio Alvarado on charges of “being a non-U.S. citizen in possession of a firearm.”
A second suspect was being tracked by investigators during the holiday events, and was arrested on July 5 after officials say they collected enough probable cause linked to the mass shooting plot. This suspect, Rolman Balcarcel, was also charged with being a non-U.S. citizen in possession of a firearm.
The two suspects are currently being held without bond at a local jail. Police did not clarify how they were able to seize the weapons or what probable cause led to the arrest of the second suspect.
Chief Smith lauded the efforts of the “hero citizen” and the police, but noted that the rest of the nation is still mourning after the deadly shooting in Highland Park, Chicago.
The success of this particular investigation can only be juxtaposed against the horrors in which the rest of the country has seen. There is no telling how many lives this hero citizen . . . saved with one phone call, and that’s why I am so proud to have our elected officials standing behind us right now because they know it’s important that public safety is the responsibility of us all. One phone call saved numerous lives on the Fourth of July, and moving forward we employ that everyone: if you see something, say something. If you hear something, say something.
During that same press conference, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said the police department “should be lauded” for the efforts in “stopping a mass shooting.” Even so, the mayor notified the public that a separate shooter who injured six at the Cyber Cafe in downtown Richmond is still at large.