A 22-year-old Florida man, Damien Allen, was arrested Tuesday night and faces multiple charges after allegedly threatening to commit mass shootings and impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is a tremendous case,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a Wednesday press conference. “The investigators that worked this case, there’s no doubt in my mind they have stopped a mass shooting that was going to happen.”
The arrest came after authorities received an FBI Guardian Tip detailing Allen’s potential plans for an attack and his threatening communications online. Investigators stated that Allen used various social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and Discord, to post threats about carrying out a mass shooting.
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A probable cause affidavit revealed a disturbing connection between Allen and Natalie Rupnow, the 15-year-old who carried out a fatal school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 17, 2024, before taking her own life. The affidavit stated that Allen and Rupnow communicated on TikTok as early as May 2024, discussing a range of weapons, ammunition, bulletproof vests, smoke grenades, and AR500 steel plates. Their online communication reportedly continued until at least September 26, 2024.
According to the affidavit, Allen stated on May 23, 2024, “My loadout is set up for war. I got 7 places I would, Strike the police dept. also Gorilla warfare tactics, Ambushing and blitz.”
Investigators concluded that based on his communications with Rupnow, Allen had “unequivocally” made written threats to conduct a mass shooting at seven different locations.
During the investigation, authorities discovered an Instagram video posted by Allen in October 2022 showing him inside a Ford Crown Victoria equipped with a computer resembling a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office laptop and a rifle rack with a rifle.
Further investigation revealed that Allen had been impersonating a deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He allegedly posted videos of himself wearing a full Class B PBSO uniform, a silver PBSO star badge, and the same gun belt, gun, Taser, and holsters used by actual deputies. The sheriff’s office is currently investigating how Allen obtained the law enforcement gear.
Upon Allen’s arrest on April 29, 2025, deputies reportedly confiscated a significant cache of weapons and items used for impersonating law enforcement. The affidavit noted, and photos from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office showed that Allen possessed at least 18 firearms and at least 12,000 rounds of ammunition, along with ballistic vests and helmets.
Damien Allen, who has no prior arrest record, is currently being held at the Palm Beach County jail without bond.
In response to this averted tragedy, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued a statement emphasizing the importance of recognizing and taking seriously online warning signs and the dangerous trend of idolizing previous mass shooters.
“Warning signs like the ones present in this case often surface online, and we’re grateful that law enforcement took these threats seriously and intervened,” Hockley stated. “Bragging about access to weapons and discussing detailed plans for an attack must never be ignored. Many previous mass shooters displayed similar behaviors before committing horrifying crimes.”
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Hockley also highlighted the concerning pattern of communication between potential and past perpetrators of mass violence, referencing a similar incident in Indiana earlier this year. She stressed the critical need for public awareness of warning signs to prevent future tragedies.
“Thanks to the awareness and quick actions in Palm Beach County, an entire community has been spared the devastating trauma of a mass shooting,” Hockley concluded.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case.
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