California police have detained a 20-year-old man amid suspicion that he had communicated with a Wisconsin teen who killed two people at a Christian school this week.
FBI agents took Alexander Paffendorf, of Carlsbad, California, into custody on Wednesday, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. An emergency gun violence restraining order, which is allowed under California’s “red flag” law, was issued, allowing authorities to take Paffendorf into custody and confiscate his guns.
The order said Paffendorf was “plotting” with Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, 15, who shot a student and teacher to death at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday before taking her own life.
BREAKING: ALEXANDER PAFFENDORF AGE 20 OF CARLSBAD CALIFORNIA WAS TALKING TO MADISON WI SHOOTER ABOUT PLOTTING HIS OWN ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. pic.twitter.com/QXuakuP0e1
— Chaos Alerts (@ChaosAlertsOnX) December 19, 2024
Six people were wounded in the school shooting.
Details of whatever plan existed are sketchy, but authorities said an attack on a government building was discussed.
“During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building,” the order said,