Summary

Ryan Michael "Reily" English was arrested at the U.S. Capitol with Molotov cocktails and a knife, allegedly planning to kill newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Initially targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or House Speaker Mike Johnson, English changed plans after learning about Bessent's Senate vote.

He told police he was prepared to kill officers to reach his target and contemplated suicide by cop.

English also considered attacking the Heritage Foundation.

He faces multiple federal charges, including possession of explosives on Capitol grounds.

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[–] 95 points 2 years ago (1 child)

He was prepared to kill officers yet turned himself in to the first officer he came across?

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  • [–] 76 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    Multiple of these stories within a few days and they turn themselves in before even trying anything. Something doesn't add up about these stories.

    Edit: it honestly feels like they are laying the groundwork to suspend/call martial law, or do something else extreme to remove barriers to doing stuff.

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  • [–] 58 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Molotov cocktails are an odd choice of weapon for a targeted assassination.

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  • [–] 68 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    There were two of them, in airplane bottles. This was not a credible threat.

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  • [–] 23 points 2 years ago

    He also had a "750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with cloth cut off the sleeves" in his car.

    Fucking pathetic "arsenal" if you're going to firebomb anything, really.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago

    I was going to say, he picked one of the clumsiest and most awkward weapons he could have chosen for the task at hand, as well as a weapon that would be most likely also injure him, and not actually kill the target. Like seriously that was the best you can do? Get creative you pussy. Or not, I mean shit, a chunk of sodium, some water, and a large and small glass bottle and some nails.

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  • [–] 31 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Why the heck did he turn himself in before he even did anything?

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  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    That's assuming any of it even actually happened and this isn't some sort of attempt to bolster sympathy support...

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    You said it, not me. Really wouldn't put that past reich-wingers, although I do think it's more likely that the dude was just some random person who's really fucking fed up with, well… *gestures around broadly*

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I mean, Trump faked an assassination attempt, so it isn't a stretch to think he'd do this to build the narrative to impose martial law.

    It's right out of Hitler's playbook.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    What assassination attempt did Trump fake?

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    Oh I don't disagree with you at all, I just think that in this case it's more likely reich-wingers aren't behind this – mainly because he didn't kill anybody. If it was a conservative false flag I'm, let's say 75% confident there'd be bloodshed to make it a better show for the narrative

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Maybe he realized he was not mentally well?

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  • [–] 22 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    ...finding two devices constructed of 50-milliliter vodka bottles with gray cloth affixed

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  • [–] 21 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I bet Hegseth's lunch contained more explosives than this guy was carrying

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago

    Sure he said he was going to do those things and had weapons, but for all we know, he could be a “fine person, a great man” there to “peacefully protest” like those that got pardoned for Jan 6th. 😒

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  • [–] 17 points 2 years ago
    [–] 11 points 2 years ago

    50 Milliliter?
    What did he plan to kill? Ants?

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago

    Sounds like trump shenanigans to enable new dystopian shit

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    WHAT TIMELINE IS THIS?

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  • [+] 4 points 2 years ago
    [removed by mod]
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