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Police have arrested two individuals who seemed intent on massacring attendees at the 12th Pokémon World Championships in Boston.

27-year-old James Austin Stumbo and 18-year-old Kevin Norton - both of whom had been invited to play in the "Masters Division" of the tournament - had made threats of violence on Facebook, including one post which had a photo of the guns the pair intended to take along as well as the message: "Kevin Norton and I are ready for Worlds Boston here we come!!!" This post was apparently brought to the attention of the police.

Thankfully, the pair were stopped from entering the venue on Thursday when officers found firearms in the car that Stumbo and Norton had used to drive to the event from Iowa. Neither individual was able to supply a license to carry, but after being held, they were both released without charge. The car, however, was seized.

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James Austin Stumbo and Kevin Norton

However, a thorough search of vehicle later revealed a shotgun, assault rifle, hunting rifle and 250 rounds of ammo, and the pair would be arrested on Friday night. They have now both been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Stumbo has been featured in several YouTube videos regarding his Pokémon skills, such as the one below:

The Pokémon Company has issued 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 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.

[source heavy.com, via time.com]