A criminal investigation remains ongoing into a Carlsbad man accused of communicating with a 15-year-old girl behind a deadly school shooting in Wisconsin last month, authorities said in a court hearing Friday.
Alexander Paffendorf, 20, appeared virtually before a San Diego County judge in a hearing on a gun violence emergency protective order filed against him by Carlsbad police, and spent the last few moments saying he was sorry.
“In terms of just the whole thing, I would just like to apologize to the court, and then in terms of the future, in terms of the gun violence protective order, whatever you feel is necessary and the Carlsbad Police Department feels is necessary, I’m willing to accept,” he said, when the judge asked him if there was anything further.
The order was issued by a judge on Dec. 17, the day after Natalie Rupnow opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a fellow student and a teacher before turning the gun on herself, according to police.
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The order requiring Paffendorf to surrender any firearms said FBI agents detained him “after he discovered plotting a mass shooting” with Rupnow.
“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,” the order reads, continuing, “FBI agents saw the messages from Paffendorf to Rupnow.”
“There currently are not any criminal charges pending against Mr. Paffendorf,” Carlsbad Deputy City Attorney Marissa Kawecki said during Friday’s hearing on the order, which is a civil case. “However, there is a criminal investigation underway. It’s not within the Carlsbad Police Department.”
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Paffendorf appeared without a lawyer Friday, and Kawecki encouraged the judge to advise him that it may be in his best interest to postpone any movement in the civil case as they await the results of that criminal investigation.
“We can just do it today, your honor,” Paffendorf said.
“I appreciate your willingness to move forward,” Judge Devon Lomayesva replied. “However, based on my review of this matter and based on the serious nature, I think the court on its own motion finds that it's in your best interest to go ahead and continue this matter.”
Kawecki consulted with the FBI liaison also present at the hearing virtually to see if two to three months would be sufficient for their investigation. The detective said it would be a reasonable amount of time and Lomayesva set the next hearing in the case for April 4, with the protective order remaining in effect until then.
Madison’s city communications manager said Friday that their police department had filed paperwork and subpoenas to access Rupnow’s online history, which they expected to take until mid- to late January, with a potential timeline of February for potential charges, if any, to be filed.
“The suspect of the shooting is obviously dead,” Dylan Brogan said via phone. “So I think they’re really focused on what charges would come out of that related to the crime. They’re looking at motive.”
He noted that Madison police were concentrated locally, pointing to federal agencies for information on the alleged communication between Rupnow and Paffendorf.
The FBI and the Department of Justice both declined to comment.
