An Oshkosh man who described himself as the "next mass shooter" was indicted on federal firearm charges.
A federal grand jury indicted Whittier P. Ives, 53, on Wednesday for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Ives is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a court-ordered mental health commitment issued by a Winnebago County judge in April and due to prior felony convictions in California.
According to court documents, an individual contacted the Omro Police Department on June 4 to report Ives was loading ammunition, magazines, and a long gun into his vehicle. Ives showed the individual a picture of a person on his phone and allegedly stated he was "going to kill him, along with another person and a bunch of other people." According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Ives said he knew those individuals were at a "club in Appleton" at that time. He allegedly further stated he "had nothing to live for" and "will be the next mass shooter."
Omro law enforcement officers then observed a vehicle matching Ives' car. A traffic stop was initiated and a search of the vehicle uncovered boxes of ammunition and numerous magazines. According to officials, officers recovered a Shield Arms multicaliber SA-15 semi-automatic rifle.
If convicted, Ives faces up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Omro Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Green Bay Resident Agency. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
