Crime and Courts

FBI links Carlsbad man to Wisconsin school shooter

Police and FBI agents went to the home of Alexander Paffendorf to seize his guns and ammunition after a San Diego Superior Court judge approved a gun violence restraining order, documents show.

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A 20-year-old Carlsbad, California, man has been ordered to surrender his guns after authorities said he communicated with the teenage girl who committed a fatal school shooting in Wisconsin, allegedly expressing his own plans to carry out a deadly attack against a government building.

Police and FBI agents went to the home of Alexander Paffendorf on Tuesday night to seize his guns and ammunition after a San Diego Superior Court judge approved a gun violence restraining order, according to documents obtained by NBC 7.

The restraining order said, in part: "During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building."

Paffendorf was detained but has not been charged with any crime.

The Carlsbad Police Department told NBC 7 on Wednesday night that "there is no threat to the Carlsbad community at this time." A spokesperson added that the investigation is being led by the Madison Police Department in Wisconsin.

The FBI's San Diego office declined to comment.

Neighbors say they saw more than a dozen agents and officers descend on the home on Tuesday.

"A couple hours into it, towards the end, they're carrying out a big black box," Carlsbad resident Alex Gallegos said. "Looked like a gun case of some sort."

The protective order, which is in effect until Monday, says firearms were reported and search for, but it doesn't say what officers found — if anything at all.

Gallegos said Paffendorf kept to himself and hasn't been spotted in the neighborhood since.

"I've only seen him a few times," the neighbor said. "He's real quiet, just seen him walk to his car and back, said hello, that's about it."

On Monday, 15-year-old Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow fatally shot a teacher and a student and wounded six other people at Abundant Life Christian School, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Rupnow was later found dead at the scene with what were believed to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Police responded to a shooting on Monday at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
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