- Kevin McDermott, 27, of St. George, was arrested for allegedly threatening a mass school shooting.
- Witnesses reported McDermott made threats targeting a religious group.
- McDermott, with prior military experience, has a history of violent threats.
ST. GEORGE — A man who police say has military experience with explosives and "idolizes cop-killers" is accused of making threats of a mass school shooting.
Kevin Benjamin McDermott, 27, of St. George, was arrested Sunday for investigation of making a threat of terrorism, making a threat of violence and disorderly conduct.
According to a police booking affidavit, the investigation began June 9 when officers were called to an apartment complex after McDermott allegedly got into an argument with another tenant about drinking alcohol at the pool.
"I spoke with two third-party witnesses who were at the pool when the threats were made," the arresting officer wrote in the affidavit. Several witnesses reported that McDermott threatened to go to a school and shoot everyone of a particular religious denomination.
"While saying this, he formed his hand into a gesture resembling a gun and made sounds as if he was shooting toward the direction where (the tenant) had walked away," according to the affidavit. "He made repeated threats to kill the victim. Kevin made hand gestures as if his hand was a gun and pointed it in the direction where the victim had walked away. These threats were made in a manner to intimidate the victim by threatening to commit an act involving the death of others. Kevin was threatening to commit a school shooting, with the intent to intimidate the victim.
"Kevin appeared to be targeting the victim's perceived religious group when he made his threats, qualifying this as a hate crime and potentially enhanceable at sentencing," the affidavit further notes.
When questioned by police about the incident on Sunday, McDermott allegedly said, "I don't remember."
Police have requested that McDermott be held in custody without the possibility of posting bail pending trial, citing a similar arrest in December.
In that case, McDermott was arrested for allegedly driving recklessly while intoxicated.
"While en route to the (the police station), Kevin began acting erratic and making violent threats to police officers, police officers' children, specifically children at school. He also later made threats of using ammonium nitrate to blow up Dugway," a second booking affidavit states.
In February, McDermott pleaded guilty in that case to making a threat of terrorism, a second-degree felony, and DUI and marijuana possession, class B misdemeanors. A sentence of one to 15 years at the Utah State Prison was suspended, and McDermott was instead placed on 18 months' probation and placed in Mental Health Court.
Following Sunday's arrest, police wrote in their affidavit, "During this present incident, Kevin has shown a pattern of escalation because he has now resorted to threatening civilians with mass shootings over very minor disputes.
"Kevin has prior military experience. His father told law enforcement that Kevin's experience was in chemical weapons and explosives. Kevin has previously expressed that he idolizes cop-killers and wants to kill cops," the affidavit continued.
