PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – A Loxahatchee man who allegedly stockpiled weapons, ammunition and gear with the intent to carry out threats of mass violence was arrested Tuesday in Palm Beach County, according to the sheriff.
Damien Allen, 22, faces charges of written or electronic threat of a mass shooting or terrorism act, using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony and unlawful use of a badge or other indication of authority, records show. He’s being held without bond.
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At a news conference Wednesday, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw lauded the investigators who worked the case.
“There’s no doubt in my mind they have stopped a mass shooting that was going to happen. This guy was ready to go, had all the equipment, had the propensity to do it, it’s just a matter of what day was going to set him off to go do it,” Bradshaw said.
Describing an investigation with the FBI, sheriff’s officials said they received information from the federal agency concerning Allen — who was residing in Palm Beach County — specifically that he “may have been planning an attack and engaged in threatening communications online to commit mass violence,” according to PBSO Captain Randy Foley.
“Allen expressed support of radically and ethnically motivated violent extremism and threats of mass violence to include identifying several places, I believe it was seven, that he’d like to strike. This included a police department, and in other conversations, people who were online (discussed) churches, the use of guerrilla warfare and tactics and ambushing to carry out the mass violence attacks,” Foley said. “The joint investigation between FBI and us revealed that there was chats and videos showing how and discussing the use of body armor, steel plates, tactical gear, grenades, and multiple firearms. (...) His main desire was to harm law enforcement and attack a law-enforcement facility. It appears they have a philosophy of violence against civilians and law enforcement equally, but specifically spoke about law enforcement organizations’ strength.“
Foley recounted what was found during the execution of a search warrant at Allen’s residence in Loxahatchee on Tuesday.
“Police uniforms and equipment, firearms, ammunition, magazines, grenades, flashbangs and related receipts. Some of the things that were recovered were 18 real firearms, one Taser — electronic Taser device — over 300 pound of ammunition or 12- more specifically, over 12,000 rounds of ammunition inside the house (...) 15 airsoft guns, a two-way radio, a law-enforcement-issued MDT or police laptop, multiple uniforms to include not only law enforcement but we found military also. He had a FBI uniform, he had an Army Ranger uniform and he had a set of Marine Corps dress blues. He has a ballistic vest, ballistic helmets and law enforcement federal credentials, active duty Army credentials, FBI credentials, and PBSO badge,“ Foley said.
Among Allen’s possessions noted at the news conference were a self-made Army training certificate, items bearing Nazi insignia, a Crown Victoria with an operational police computer, “two or three” full PBSO uniforms with a gun belt, a radio and a fake body-worn camera, according to Foley.
“He posted several videos of him wearing a full PBSO uniform which is very similar to what myself and Sheriff are wearing today. It included a badge, a name tag with his name on it, and all the equipment that is issued through PBSO officers,” Foley said.
According to court records, investigators say Allen maintained correspondence for several months with Natalie Rupnow, a 15-year-old student at a private Christian school in Wisconsin where she conducted a mass shooting in December 2024, killing a teacher and a student, wounding six others and taking her own life. Among their alleged conversations on TikTok was one in May 2024 which included statements such as Rupnow’s “I wanted to do a black church that was near me but yk,” and Allen’s later reply, “I got 7 places I would, Strike the police dept. also, Gorilla warfare tactics, Ambushing and blitz,” (sic) the documents show.