Suspect Arrested Over Alleged Mass Shooting Threat at Texas Capitol

AUSTIN, Texas — A man has been arrested after allegedly planning a mass shooting at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, according to sources who spoke with ABC News.

Texas Department of Public Safety SWAT officers arrested Benny Caldera, 40, at his home in Converse, just outside San Antonio, at about 3 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities said they acted after receiving credible information Tuesday evening about plans for a violent attack on the Capitol.

The alleged attack was planned for Oct. 1, according to a notice sent to state senators by Texas Senate Secretary Patsy Spaw.

The FBI, DPS SWAT and other law enforcement agencies coordinated in the arrest, Spaw said in the notice.

Caldera was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a felony charge of making a terroristic threat against a public servant, according to the DPS.

“The investigation is ongoing, and there is and will continue to be an enhanced DPS presence at the Capitol,” the notice said.

Spaw said the threat did not warrant concern but that she wanted Senate members to be informed.

An official briefed on the investigation told ABC News that Caldera had allegedly threatened to carry out a mass shooting at the Texas Capitol. The official said he possessed guns and had been stockpiling ammunition.

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Detectives were seeking search warrants to determine whether anyone else may have been involved in the plot, the source said.

People familiar with Caldera had recently alerted authorities, saying he appeared increasingly angry and could pose a danger.

Caldera and his wife were not cooperating with investigators, the official told ABC News. Other family members and co-workers, however, spoke with authorities.

The official said Caldera had expressed anger about the state and the direction of the country.

ABC News contributed to this report.

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