Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, have been charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, after driving to the event from Iowa.
#KeepingBostonSafe: #BPD Officers Arrest 2 Suspects, Recover 2 Firearms after Online Threats http://t.co/aluVXdR3m8 pic.twitter.com/ROm1OgMKLh
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— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) August 23, 2015
Stumbo allegedly posted a picture of a car with two weapons on it in a Facebook group called 'Mayhem Pokemon Crew', writing: "Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!"
When another user wished him good luck, Norton replied: "With killing the competition?"
The Boston Regional Intelligence Center received information about the post on Thursday (August 20), which led to the pair being stopped by police and found that they did not have the necessary paperwork to carry firearms.
However, detectives had to wait until the following day to get a search warrant for the vehicle, but when they did they found "one 12-gauge Remington shotgun, one DPMS Model AR-15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife".
Paul Fitzgerald, commander superintendent of the Boston Police Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Analysis, said: "The relationship between police and private sector security is important in both our community policing philosophy, as well as our counter-terrorism strategy.
"This incident is a good example of private security reaching out to their local Boston police district and relaying information to detectives and BRIC analysts in order to identify the very real threat. The BPD detectives and collaborating agencies did a great job in the stop and prevention of a potential tragedy."
The Pokémon Company International released the following statement: "Prior to the event this weekend, our community of players made us aware of a security issue. We gathered information and gave it as soon as possible to the authorities at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center who acted swiftly and spearheaded communication with the Boston Police Department.
"Due to quick action, the potential threat was resolved. The Pokémon Company International takes the safety of our fans seriously and will continue to ensure proper security measures are a priority."
