SPRINGFIELD, MO. (THECOUNT) — Dmitriy N. Andreychenko, the Missouri man arrested after allegedly toting a loaded rifle while donning tactical gear inside a southwest Springfield Walmart store on Thursday, now says he was conducting a “social experiment” — that was not intended to cause panic.
Andreychenko, 20, was taken into custody after he waltzed into a Walmart in Springfield equipped with body armor, a handgun and a rifle less than a week after a gunman killed 22 people in a Walmart in El Paso.
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“I wanted to know if Walmart honored the 2nd amendment,” he told Springfield police, according to a probable cause statement, reports KVIA.
Andreychenko recorded himself as he pushed a cart into the store in Springfield, saying he intended to buy grocery bags.
He didn’t intend for any negative reaction, he said. The recording was in case anyone stopped him and asked him to leave, according to the statement.
His wife and sister told him beforehand that the idea was not smart, especially considering the recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton, according to the document.
He told his sister it was “a social experiment on how his 2nd amendment right would be respected in a public area,” according to the document.
The rifle he carried had a loaded magazine, but a round was not chambered; and the handgun was loaded with a round in the chamber, the probable cause document said.
He was later booked into the jail on suspicion of first-degree making a terrorist threat.
Police say Andreychenko was arrested Thursday after he showed up at a Springfield Walmart store with a loaded rifle while wearing a bulletproof vest. The man had more than 100 rounds of ammo at the ready, according to police.
“His intent obviously was to cause chaos here, and he did that,” Springfield Police Department Lt. Mike Lucas said of the 20-year-old suspect Thursday evening.
Springfield Police Department say the incident occurred at after 4 p.m. Thursday at the Walmart Neighborhood Market, located at, 3150 West Republic Road, in Springfield, MO.
Lucas said the man showed up to the business with body armor and military-style clothing and then walked inside carrying a “tactical rifle” and another gun.
As shoppers were panicking and fleeing the store, Lucas said the man was taking video on his phone and making comments to people while pushing a shopping cart.
Lucas said the suspect then walked out of the store, where an off-duty firefighter held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived moments later.
Police are still working to determine the suspect’s motives and whether or not he intended to shoot anyone.
Lucas said the man had more than 100 rounds of ammo.
Lucas said Springfield police officers arrived on scene in 3 minutes after the initial 911 call on Thursday. He said the scene was initially chaotic.
Lucas described the suspect as “pretty stoic” during the initial police contact. He said officers would be interviewing the suspect at the jail on Thursday to try to learn more about his motivations.
“His intent was not to cause peace or comfort to anybody that was in the business here,” Lucas said. “In fact, he’s lucky he’s alive still, to be honest,” reports News-Leader.
A fire marshal was called out to the scene on Thursday to inspect the suspect’s car, a gray Mazda sedan that was left in the parking lot. Lucas said that was to ensure there were no bombs on the vehicle.
The suspect was not immediately identified.
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Geo quick facts: Springfield is a city in southwestern Missouri. The Discovery Center of Springfield has interactive science exhibits on topics from DNA to dinosaurs. To the north, Dickerson Park Zoo features animals from around the world, plus train rides. Trams run through a cave filled with stalagmites and flowstones at Fantastic Caverns. The Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park has trails and botanical gardens – wikipedia.