Skyler Philippi, 24, arrested on charges of attempting to use weapon of mass destruction and targeting an energy facility
A white supremacist plotted to attack a power substation in Nashville, Tennessee, with an explosives-loaded drone, federal authorities alleged on Monday while announcing his arrest.
Skyler Philippi, 24, was arrested on 2 November on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility. Authorities claim that Philippi’s plot was rooted in his “accelerationism”, or the white supremacist belief that “the existing state of society is irreparable and that the only solution is the destruction and collapse of the ‘system’”, according to court documents.
Court documents add that adherents to accelerationism believe that “steps can be taken to speed up the collapse of the system, to wit: the destruction of the US power grid, among other acts of violence”.
In June, Philippi allegedly told a law enforcement informant that he wanted to carry out a mass shooting at a YMCA in Columbia, Tennessee. Philippi subsequently communicated with another informant, explaining how attacking nine or more power stations would “shock the system”, according to investigators.
The second informant introduced Philippi to an undercover agent.
