LUBBOCK, TX. (THECOUNT) — A grandmother was able to deter a third potential mass shooting in Texas by turning her own grandson into Lubbock officials.
A month before a gunman murdered 20 people in an El Paso Walmart, William Patrick Williams, a 19-year-old from Lubbock, told his grandmother in July he had bought an AK-47, and planned to “shoot up” a hotel and then take his own life, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Texas.
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Williams’ grandmother’s concern for her grandson’s well-being and the safety of others, was able to convince him to go to a local hospital to get treatment, authorities said.
When police searched the hotel room Williams had rented, they found the weapon he had told his grandmother he possessed, along with 17 loaded magazines, and multiple knives. They also found black tactical pants, a black trench coat, and a black T-shirt that read “Let ‘Em Come,” reports NBC.
“This was a tragedy averted,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “I want to praise the defendant’s grandmother, who saved lives by interrupting this plot.”
After looking into the forms Williams filled out to purchase the weapon, police said he appeared to list false information on the forms and allegedly misrepresented his address. On Thursday, he was arrested by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI for making false statements to a firearms dealer.
Williams appeared in court on Friday, and authorities say he could face up to five years in federal prison.
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: Lubbock is a city in northwest Texas known as the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll legend Buddy Holly. The Buddy Holly Center celebrates his life and music with artifacts and mementos. Nearby is the West Texas Walk of Fame, with a statue of Holly and plaques honoring musicians from the region. The Museum of Texas Tech University houses millions of objects of art, history and paleontology, plus the Moody Planetarium – wikipedia.