Police have identified a suspect who was arrested in connection with three shootings that have targeted a Democratic National Committee office in Tempe, Arizona, since September.
According to the Tempe Police Department, 60-year-old Jeffrey Michael Kelly was also arrested for allegedly placing suspicious bags of white powder on political signs that were lined with razor blades in the nearby village of Ahwatukee.
Police announced Kelly’s arrest on Tuesday. He faces multiple felony charges, including terrorism, unlawful firearm discharge, and shooting at a non-residential building. He is also charged with misdemeanor criminal damage. Authorities stated on Wednesday that a tip from the public led to his arrest.
Following the first two shooting incidents in September, police reported gunshots through the front windows of the office. The first incident, on September 16, seemed to involve a BB or pellet gun, according to authorities. The second, on September 23, involved approximately six real bullets, Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy stated during a news conference Wednesday evening.
“No one was inside the office during the overnight hours, but this raises concerns about the safety of those who work in that building, as well as those nearby,” Sgt. Ryan Cook, the police department’s public information officer, said in a Sept. 24 statement.
The third shooting took place on October 6, according to Chief McCoy. A silver Toyota SUV spotted in surveillance footage from the second shooting was also captured on video during the third incident.
The office, where the shootings occurred, was shared with staff from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. Police revealed that Kelly had been previously arrested in 2022 for stealing campaign signs while driving the same silver SUV.
Kelly appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday, where a judge set his bail at $500,000 and ordered electronic monitoring and house arrest if he posts bail, according to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
During Wednesday’s court hearing, Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Neha Bhatia stated that authorities believe Kelly “was preparing to carry out a mass casualty event” and that his “level of violence was increasing.”
Bhatia revealed that when agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms searched Kelly’s home, they found over 120 guns, including several machine guns, along with more than 250,000 rounds of ammunition.
The search also uncovered silencers, scopes, and body armor. Bhatia informed the judge that Kelly possessed firearms consistent with those used in the office shootings. Additionally, she disclosed that a machine gun was found in Kelly’s vehicle at the time of his arrest.
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