At a press conference about the arrest of Jeffery Michael Kelly, Tempe Police highlighted their work with Silent Witness which led to an individual in the community to recognize the car. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror
In less than two weeks, Arizonans and the nation will decide the next president of the United States, but concerns about political violence leading up to and after Election Day has experts concerned, especially in light of revelations about a Phoenix man arrested Tuesday who authorities said was allegedly planning a “mass casualty” event in the state.
Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, was arrested in connection to his alleged involvement in four separate incidents of political violence. Police have tied him to a series of shootings at a Democratic National Committee office in Tempe, as well as placing anti-Democratic signs with razor blades and bags of white powder attached to them in nearby Ahwatukee.
During an initial appearance in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said that a search warrant of Kelly’s home found 120 guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, body armor and a grenade launcher.
Prosecutors said that law enforcement believed that Kelly was leaving his home Tuesday to “potentially do something” and was preparing for a “mass casualty” event. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Tempe police would not elaborate on what led them to believe Kelly had larger plans, citing an ongoing investigation.
The prosecutor called him an “absolute threat to the community” citing the progression of violent acts he is alleged to have taken part in. Kelly is accused of shooting the DNC office first with a BB gun before moving to an actual gun in the second and third shooting.
On Tuesday, law enforcement officers surveilling Kelly saw him placing signs that read “Dems kill Jews,” “Dems Lie” and “Never Harris,” referring to Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. The signs had razor blades and bags of white powder attached to them with the message “biohazard” and “F*** you! Play stupid games win stupid prizes! Guess the poison.”
Kelly has only been charged with crimes related to the DNC office shootings, but could face additional charges stemming from the signs and powder.
Kelly’s attorney, who has videos of himself at a gun range frequented by Kelly and has represented militia members before, claimed that the car at the center of the case did not belong to his client.
“You’re talking about a retired aerospace engineer,” attorney Jason Squires said during court on Wednesday. “He is a sportsman, he has a multitude of firearms as a sportsman.”
Squires said Kelly’s weapons were all legally obtained and said that there were no grenades found with the launcher, making it merely a “tube.”
The Arizona Mirror found a profile that appears to belong to Kelly in which he said he worked for Honeywell. His attorney said he held top secret clearances for his job until 2020.
The news of the arrest and the incidents comes amid early voting in Arizona — and as extremist researchers are sounding the alarm about the possibility of political violence fueled by conspiratorial thinking.
Election conspiracy groups like True the Vote, which was behind the debunked “2000 Mules” film, have signaled their intentions to watch drop boxes and encourage their followers to find what they believe to be election fraud, according to Heidi Beirich, co-founder, CEO and president of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.
Beirich and others spoke to reporters Wednesday to voice their concerns about how election denialism can lead to possible violence. She said that extremist groups, such as the Proud Boys and white nationalist organizations, are pushing unfounded election fraud narratives to disparage immigrants and minority groups with some voicing the possibility for violence.
“Keep your rifles by your side,” one post on a Proud Boy group said recently of the election, according to Beirich.
Kelly, who is facing charges of terrorism, criminal damage and more, posted unfounded conspiracy theories on a Facebook page found by the Mirror. As far back as 2014, Kelly was engaging in conspiratorial thinking by amplifying the debunked and racist “birtherism” claims about former President Barack Obama.
On January 6, 2021, while rioters were storming the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election for former President Donald Trump, Kelly changed his Facebook banner to a “Stop The Steal” logo, the movement that pushed unfounded claims around the election.
He also posted frequent pro-gun memes, including an Islamaphobic one, and his profile picture is an edit of the infamous photo of Kathy Griffin with a severed head of Donald Trump but replaced with Biden with the caption “this is still funny right?”
Kelly frequently criticized Democrats and posted an AI image of Trump.
The Department of Homeland Security has warned that election deniers connected to the far-right may attempt to bomb drop boxes or commit other acts of violence in the coming weeks.
While political violence is on the rise, extremist researchers and experts warn about letting these ideologues prevent people from voting.
“We can work together to make sure we are not allowing those who would threaten and harass us to deny the sacred right to cast a ballot on Election Day,” Devin Burghart, president and executive director at the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, said.
In Maricopa County Superior Court Wednesday morning, the county prosecutor asked the court to set Kelly’s bail at $1 million. His attorney said that number might as well have been a “billion” and asked the court instead for a home release.
“I am concerned with the alleged amount of firearms found at his home,” Maricopa County Court Commissioner William Cawthon said. “I do not know what a grenade launcher has to do with (being a sportsman).”
Cawthon set Kelly’s bail at $500,000, and ordered him to be confined to house arrest with an ankle monitor if he makes bail. He also would be barred from returning to the scenes of any of the alleged crimes.
A probable cause statement against Kelly disclosed that he is also under two separate federal investigations. Among the evidence police uncovered are Google searches Kelly performed looking up the address of the DNC office. The police also noted that Kelly “has finances and resources to conduct further acts of terrorism” and frequently travels across state lines.
And the car that Squires denied Kelly owned was found on Kelly’s property, where it was covered in blankets and police determined it had been recently cleaned. Police also found two expired out-of-state license plates that were seen on the vehicle fleeing the scene.
Kelly also researched silencers and additional modifications for his weapons.
Tempe police said they became aware of Kelly due to a tip after the department had released a photo of the car asking the public for help. A citizen called in saying that, in 2022, Kelly had been seen stealing Democratic campaign signs in that same vehicle.
During their investigation, Tempe police found spent ammunition in Kelly’s trash that matched the caliber of rounds fired at the DNC office.
“Let me be clear: Justice does not have a political party,” Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy said to the media. “There is no place in the City of Tempe for political threats and intimidation.”
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell reiterated McCoy’s sentiments, adding that public officials must speak out against political violence. Earlier Wednesday, her office also announced that they had stopped a plot to target the Phoenix Pride parade.
“Threats, intimidation or violence towards political officials no matter what political party they are affiliated with will not be tolerated,” Mitchell said.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.