A Florida man was arrested on Tuesday when authorities discovered that he plotted a mass stabbing spree at an elementary school painted like an American flag.
Andrew Ivan Aman, 22, was in route to Bellamy Elementary School in Tampa, Fla., armed with a “large kitchen knife,” after targetting the school for its American flag-themed paint scheme, according to Fox 13 on Tuesday.
He plotted to kill the children and anyone else that got in his way because of “the school’s ‘obnoxious pride in America’ as illustrated by the large American flag mural on the front of the building.”
Bellamy Elementary School is named after the 1882 Pledge of Allegiance writer, Francis Bellamy, who was a resident of Tampa.
On his way to the school to carry out his plot, Aman bumped into his roommate, whom he revealed his plans to. The roommate called police and told them about Aman’s plans, prompting police to pursue Aman.
Aman was detained under Florida’s Baker Act and sent for a mental health evaluation.
The Baker Act allows families or authorities to temporarily detain and seek mental health services for “people who are impaired because of their mental illness, and who are unable to determine their needs for treatment,” according to UF Health.
Former Miami State representative, Maxine Baker sponsored the Act in 1972. The Act is most often used on individuals that display signs of inflicting harm on themselves or others.
In a search of Aman’s residence, no weapons were found.
On Monday, a memo was sent out by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office that was labeled “situational awareness” and “law enforcement sensitive,” informing deputies about Aman’s threats to “stab as many children as possible.”
The memo detailed Aman’s history of mental illness and his admitted hatred of the U.S. and anger over the school’s patriotic design, and added that if adults planned to interfere with his rampage, “he planned to stab them as well.”
The notice cautioned, “Law enforcement should use extreme caution in dealing with [the subject.]”
However, the memo was never sent to the school.
Chief communications officer for Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Crystal Clark said, “An investigation is ongoing, and charges could follow.
An investigation is still ongoing, but authorities have advised that there is no threat to the school or anyone in it.
In May, a woman was arrested for posting threats on Facebook of her intentions to shoot up an elementary school, Fox 13 News reported. She was charged with intent to commit a mass shooting or terrorism.
