A mother's concern, call to authorities may have prevented potential attack on UFC event at the White House

A suspected plan to attack Sunday night’s UFC event at the White House may have begun to unravel after a concerned mother noticed troubling changes in her teenage son’s behavior, including an apparent fixation on firearms, tactical equipment and secretive online activity.

Court documents reviewed by News Agency say Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old from Ohio, came to the attention of federal investigators after his mother contacted authorities out of concern. Proper has been charged in connection with an alleged scheme targeting a UFC event held on White House grounds.

Federal prosecutors allege Proper was involved in a group that planned an attack on UFC Freedom 250, a June 14 event staged on the South Lawn. Investigators say the alleged operation included the use of drones carrying explosives, sniper positions and coordinated assaults aimed at attendees and other targets.

According to the criminal complaint, one of the clearest red flags emerged when Proper’s mother saw him looking up locations near Washington, D.C., while also receiving maps and images through text messages and Discord.

A mugshot released by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office shows Tycen Proper following his arrest.

When she questioned him about what she had seen, Proper allegedly told her the group intended to carry out “recon” and “hit and run missions,” according to the complaint.

She later told investigators she interpreted that as planning shootings.

The criminal complaint reveals that Proper’s mother contacted authorities on June 10, after becoming concerned about her son’s recent firearms purchases and communications with people he had met online.

When deputies responded to the family’s Knox County, Ohio, home, Proper’s father told officers his son had recently met people online and had been planning “recons” with them. He also said Proper planned to leave during the weekend of June 13 to meet members of the group.

Tycen Proper allegedly acquired an AR-style rifle and a bullpup rifle painted with the American flag, officials said. (Department of Justice)

Proper’s father told investigators his son had recently acquired firearms, body armor, ammunition and tactical gear, allegedly spending about $3,000 of his graduation money on the purchases. Family members later voluntarily turned over the equipment to law enforcement, according to the complaint.

Proper’s mother told investigators he had recently begun communicating with an online group whose members claimed to be former military personnel and described themselves as Christian-based. She said the group appeared to be influencing him and that she noticed him becoming increasingly focused on physical training and tactical preparation.

After local authorities contacted the FBI, investigators reviewed Proper’s phone and allegedly discovered Signal chats discussing plans for an attack during the June 14 UFC event at the White House, including the use of explosive-laden drones and shooters positioned near evacuation routes.

Prosecutors also allege Proper later admitted participating in planning discussions.

President Donald Trump standing on the South Lawn of the White House during UFC Freedom 250 fights

President Donald Trump hosts the UFC Freedom 250 fights on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, celebrating his 80th birthday with a series of Ultimate Fighting Championship matches. (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images)

Retired FBI agent Jason Pack previously told News Agency that the investigation highlighted the importance of family members recognizing behavior and reporting it to authorities.

“That’s how this got stopped,” Pack said.

The complaint suggests that before investigators uncovered encrypted communications and alleged attack planning, the first break in the case came from a mother who saw troubling changes in her son and decided to make a phone call.

In an interview with Fox News host Will Cain on “The Will Cain Show” Tuesday, retired FBI supervisory agent Rob Chadwick called the mother’s actions courageous.

“Thankful for the one mother’s courage to come forward and say something, even though it meant the certain arrest of her own son,” Chadwick said, “but that’s what it’s going to take, this type of surveillance or awareness of what is happening around you, understanding we are in the unprecedented time of political violence.”

–>

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *