Heavily armed Indiana man arrested in plot to harm gay event in West Hollywood

Associated Press

SANTA MONICA, Calif.

A heavily armed Indiana man arrested Sunday on his way to a Southern California gay pride parade told police he wanted to do harm to the event, authorities said.

James Wesley Howell, 20, of Indiana was arrested about 5 a.m. after neighbors reported suspicious behavior on the street where he was parked the wrong way in a white sedan, Santa Monica police said in a statement.

In the car, officers found three assault rifles, high capacity magazines and ammunition and a five-gallon bucket with chemicals that could be used to make an explosive device, police said.

Santa Monica police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks tweeted that Howell told officers after he was arrested that he wanted to harm the gay pride event in West Hollywood that was taking place about seven miles away later Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of people attend the annual event.