Arizona Man Indicted on Terrorism Charges for DNC Office Shootings

Police tape, in a file photograph. Carl Ballou/Shutterstock

A man arrested in connection with three shootings at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) office in Tempe, Arizona, has been indicted on terrorism charges, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in an Oct. 30 statement.

Three shootings occurred between Sept. 16 and Oct. 6, according to the Tempe Police Department.

Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, is accused of initially using a carbon dioxide-powered gun to shoot at the office and then using firearms in subsequent incidents. More than 20 shots were fired at the office throughout the three shootings, causing damage to the building’s windows, front doors, and walls.

The office was shut down after the third shooting.

On Oct. 28, a grand jury indicted Kelly on multiple charges, including one count of terrorism, three counts of discharging a firearm at a structure, three counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm, and one count of criminal damage.

He is currently being held on two $500,000 cash-only bonds, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said in the statement.

The shootings all took place shortly after midnight, and no one was inside the building during the incidents. No injuries were reported.

Following the shootings, Tempe police released surveillance footage of a vehicle believed to be connected to the suspect, leading to his arrest and indictment.

Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy said last week that Kelly also had been observed posting anti-Democrat signs in the area. Kelly was arrested on Oct. 22, McCoy said.

Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the shootings.

During Kelly’s initial court appearance on Oct. 23, Maricopa County prosecutor Neha Bhatia said federal agents told her about a large seizure of weapons made after Kelly’s arrest.

Kelly allegedly had more than 200 guns and more than 250,000 rounds of ammunition in his home, the state prosecutor said.

Bhatia said the size of the weapons cache led authorities to believe he “was preparing to commit an act of mass casualty.”

Kelly’s attorney, Jason Squires, previously said his client is a retired aerospace engineer who once had top security clearance, had no criminal record, and is not a flight risk. He said his client’s firearms were all legal and were for sport-related activities, such as shooting competitions.

Squires could not be reached for further comment.

The Tempe site is one of 18 field offices in Arizona that organizes campaign efforts for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.

Katabella Roberts, Stephen Katte, and Reuters contributed to this report.