Feds: Man planning mass shooting hit with weapons charge

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man whom investigators said was planning a mass shooting has been charged with making false statements to a firearms dealer.

Federal agents arrested 19-year-old William Patrick Williams on Thursday after his discharge from a hospital.

According to a criminal complaint, the Lubbock man had told his grandmother that he’d bought an AK-47 rifle recently, planned to “shoot up” a local hotel, then force police to kill him. Sensing that her grandson was both suicidal and homicidal, the woman persuaded him to be hospitalized instead. He’s accused of giving the gun dealer an outdated address.

During a search of Williams’ hotel room, agents found the rifle, 17 ammunition-filled magazines, knives, tactical gloves and black clothing.

He’s in Lubbock County Jail. No attorney is listed on his jail record.