Boston police stop possible crisis at 'Pokémon' World Championships

Trouble was averted at the “Pokémon” World Championships held in Boston last Saturday. Two men were arrested and prohibited from entering the premises of the competition after allegedly making threats on Facebook.

In a report by BPDNews, the Boston Police Department have arrested 18-year-old Kevin Norton and 27-year-old James Stumbo after several violent threats against the competition at the “Pokémon” World Championships. The Boston policemen tracked down the men at a Saugus Hotel. The police found a 12-gauge shotgun, one DPM5 AR-15 rifle, a lot of ammunition and a hunting knife at the car of the suspects. Both men were charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition and other firearm-related charges. They will undergo trial in the Boston Municipal Court at an unspecified date.

The men are official listed players on the “Pokémon” World Champioships Website. Both men are part of the Masters Division of the “Pokémon” Trading Card game tournament. Their motives are yet to be determined, but they are arrested after several threats on Facebook. The said threats show the men stating that they are ready for the championships but the accompanying photos show the weapons the men have at hand. Luckily, the trouble was averted as thousands of people were in attendance at the tournament.

As reported by Kotaku, the Pokemon Company released a statement on the scary situation. "Prior to the event this weekend, our community of players made us aware of a security issue," the company disclosed.

It added, "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."

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