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Man accused of trying to blow up Nashville energy facility

Sakege November 5, 2024

A Columbia, Tennessee, man’s alleged plot to blow up part of Nashville’s power grid was intercepted and detained by FBI agents who had disguised themselves as his accomplices, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday afternoon.

Skyler Philippi, 24, was arrested Nov. 2 and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility, court records show. If convicted, Filipos faces the possibility of life in prison.

The Justice Department, through FBI informants who communicated with Philippi for months, outlined the rough details of Philippi’s alleged plan, which it said was motivated by racial hatred. According to the Department of Justice, Filipos was linked to several white supremacist groups.

‘Just moments away from launching an attack’

“According to the charges, Skyler Philippi believed he was about to launch an attack on a Nashville energy facility to promote his violent white supremacist ideology, but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in the Department of Justice report. press release.

Prosecutors said Philippos, whom extremist investigators were aware of since at least januarytold an informant he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA in Columbia.

He later told his informants about a plan to blow up a drone rigged with explosives at a power substation in Nashville. He purchased explosives in preparation for the attack, according to the Justice Department.

On November 2, before his arrest, Philippi performed a Nordic ritual and told undercover informants that “this is where the New Age begins” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be remembered “in the annals of the history”. .”

According to prosecutors, the drone was on and the explosive device was armed when Philippi was arrested.

Lawyer: Dangerous threats will not be tolerated

“Dangerous threats to our critical infrastructure threaten all members of this community and will not be tolerated,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Thomas Jaworski said in the news release.

Philippi has a court hearing scheduled for November 13 in federal court.

myvan Mealins is The Tennessean’s justice reporter. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMe to Lins.