Authorities in Florida have arrested a 22-year-old man who is accused of planning multiple mass shootings.
The Palm Beach County man is also accused of communicating with 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who later shot multiple people at Madison’s Abundant Life Christian School on Dec. 16, according to court records. The records say Rupnow, who died by suicide after killing two people and injuring six others, sent messages to Damien Blade Allen in which she expressed enthusiasm for committing mass shootings and discussed how she obtained two handguns from her father.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Allen earlier this week. Officers said Allen had a large stash of weapons, including 18 guns and over 300 pounds of ammunition. They also say he threatened attacks on at least seven locations.
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“This guy was ready to go, had all the equipment, had the propensity to do it,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference this week. “It’s just a matter of what day it was going to set him off to go do it.”
Judge orders Palm Beach County man to surrender guns
Allen faces two felony and one misdemanor charge in Florida. That includes a charge of making written threats to kill or do bodily harm in connection with a mass shooting or terrorism and charges related to impersonating a police officer.
Police say Allen had multiple law enforcement and military uniforms, and he appears in social media videos wearing a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy uniform.
He’s also charged with unlawful use of a badge and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office filed a petition for a temporary risk protection order this week, asking that a judge order Allen to immediately surrender all firearms and ammunition and be banned from purchasing firearms and ammunition.
Circuit Judge Donald Hafele granted that petition on Tuesday.
Court records describe contact with Madison shooter
The petition describes Allen as someone who is seriously mentally ill and who has threatened violence.
The document details Allen’s contact with the Madison shooter before she opened fire at the private school where she was a student.
Authorities say Rupnow fired shots on a mixed-grade study hall just days before the start of Christmas break, killing a teacher and another student at the school before shooting and killing herself.
Court records filed in Florida describe how Madison police used warrants to search Rupnow’s phone and the house where she had been living with her father.
In the house, police found a six-page manifesto where Rupnow used a “derogatory term for African Americans” and said “nobody knew that she intended to attack the school and kill students and teachers,” according to the petition.
“In the manifesto, Rupnow indicated that she had manipulated her father into purchasing firearms,” according to the petition and an affidavit filed in Palm Beach County.
That search of the home also turned up a document dated Oct. 23 that featured drawings of guns and statements including “bullets aim at everyone” and “all planned out just need his guns,” according to the petition and the affidavit filed in Florida.
“As part of the investigation, law enforcement spoke to Rupnow’s father, who said he fired firearms with Rupnow approximately two years ago when they visited a friend’s farm,” Palm Beach County court records say. “The father told officers that Rupnow developed an interest in shooting that day at the friend’s farm and asked to visit the shooting range various times since that date.”
Messages describe weapons, suggest romantic involvement
Additionally, Palm Beach County court records detail how Rupnow and Allen communicated with each other on the social media platform TikTok.
In a message at 1:23 a.m. on May 23, 2024, authorities say Rupnow posted, “I wanted to do a black church that was near me but yk.”
After Allen replied describing the types of weapons he had, the petition says Rupnow posted at about 1:25 a.m., “I got two of my fathers 9 mm and a cool shirt lmao,” apparently in reference to 9 millimeter handguns.
Allen later replied “I got 7 places I would, Strike the police dept. also, Gorrilla warfare tactics, Ambushing and blitz,” the petition says.
A spokesperson for the Madison Police Department declined to comment on the arrest of Allen or the origin of Rupnow’s guns, citing an ongoing investigation.
Madison police have previously confirmed that Rupnow brought two handguns to school on the day of the shooting but said she only used one of those guns to shoot others before shooting and killing herself.
So far, prosecutors in Wisconsin have not filed charges against anyone in connection with the Abundant Life shooting.
Messages included in court records also suggest romantic involvement between Allen and Rupnow.
In June of 2024, Allen wrote “We go down together,” according to documents filed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Later, Rupnow posted, “I love you” and Allen replied “I love you more,” according to the documents.
California man previously ordered to surrender guns after communicating with ALCS shooter
Allen is not the first person to have been ordered to surrender his guns after communicating with the Abundant Life shooter.
The day after the shooting in Madison, a judge in California granted a emergency protective order against Alexander Charles Paffendorf, 21, of Carlsbad.
Paffendorf told FBI agents that he had been messaging Rupnow about his plans to carry out a mass attack on a government building, authorities said.
Criminal charges have not been filed against Paffendorf.
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