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A “hero citizen” signaled authorities about a mass shooting plot that had been prepared for a July 4th event in Richmond, Virginia, according to Richmond Police Department Chief Gerald Smith.
Throughout an interview, Smith stated that the heroic citizen overheard a conversation about the plot and tipped off authorities. Guns and ammo were confiscated at a home, the Chief informed the press.
Two men, Julio Alvardo-Dubon and Rolman Balacarcel, have been charged as non-citizens in possession of a firearm. (The one guy’s name is spelled Alvarado-Dubon in some media reports, however, the police press release spells the name as Alvardo-Dubon).
RELEASE: Richmond Police Department received a tip about a planned mass shooting for July 4th. pic.twitter.com/ltmY4pgcBz
— Richmond Police (@RichmondPolice) July 6, 2022
The two men are from Guatemala, police representative Tracy Walker noted, according to the Associated Press. The outlet reported that preliminary filings submitted in General District Court in Richmond showed that the men are not in the nation legally– the legal materials suggest that Alvardo-Dubon holds an expired visa, according to the AP.
“I want to thank and applaud the hero in Virginia that stopped a potential massacre by alerting our brave Richmond Police Department Officers that work tirelessly every day to protect our communities,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin (R) said in tweet. “Its a great reminder that if you see something, say something to your local PD.”
While the Richmond shooting plot was prevented, Highland Park, Illinois, was just recently rocked by a lethal shooting on Independence Day that led to seven casualties and many more individuals being injured– a 21-year-old male has actually been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.
On Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, stated, “Our founders carried muskets, not assault weapons. And I don’t think a single one of them would’ve said that you have a Constitutional right to an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine, or that is more important than the right of the people who attended this parade today to live.”
