Apparent plan to 'harm' L.A. Pride not believed to be connected to Orlando massacre

A man arrested Sunday in Santa Monica, California, with weapons and ammunition in his car told officers he wanted to "harm" the L.A. Pride festival in West Hollywood.

Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks identified the man as 20-year-old James Howell of Indiana. On Twitter, Seabrooks shared that Howell said he wanted to "harm Gay Pride event," but did not go into more detail. Early Sunday morning, residents in a Santa Monica neighborhood called the police to report a suspected prowler who was knocking on doors and loitering. A source told the Los Angeles Times that, when officers arrived, they made contact with a man who said he was waiting for a friend. Officers inspected his car and found three rifles, one an "assault rifle," ammunition, and tannerite, an ingredient that can be used to make a pipe bomb.

Santa Monica Police spokesman Saul Rodriguez said officials are "not aware of what the suspect's intentions were at this point," but authorities do not believe there is any link to the mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando, Florida, that killed at least 50 people early Sunday. Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials said the suspect told officers he was going to the L.A. Pride parade to look for a friend, and authorities are searching for that person, the Times reports. There was talk of canceling L.A. Pride, but instead security was tightened, and undercover officers are on patrol.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up