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Teen arrested on suspicion of making terrorist threat
Police in Mesa arrested 18-year-old Damien Bedonie, who they say expressed deep-seated hatred toward specific groups, and had conversations about harming them.
MESA, Ariz. - An 18-year-old Mesa man is behind bars on a $500,000 cash-only bond after local police and federal agents arrested him for "planning a mass shooting," according to court documents and prosecutors.
What we know:
Damien Alexander Bedonie was taken into custody early Tuesday morning by Mesa police officers assisting the FBI following an investigation into terroristic threats. During his initial court appearance on Oct. 7, state prosecutors revealed that search warrants uncovered evidence showing Bedonie allegedly researched past mass casualty events, looked up how to buy weapons and tactical gear, and began taking steps toward putting a violent plan into action.
Damien Bedonie appears before a judge following his arrest in an alleged mass attack plot. (Maricopa County Superior Court)
'The suspect is incel-adjacent'
What they're saying:
Prosecutor Ashley Stetson told the court that Bedonie's internet history, revealed in a search warrant, showed he searched for how to buy weapons "for a specific amount of money" and studied major violent attacks. Specifically, investigators found web searches regarding the 2015 Paris terror attacks, including queries about how they were coordinated and carried out, as well as searches detailing the Boston Marathon bombing and the Uvalde school shooting.
State prosecutors said they were "concerned" during the hearing that Bedonie is "incel-adjacent" – referring to involuntary celibates, an online subculture driven by hatred toward women – and evaluated his actions under the FBI’s pathway to violence model. Prosecutors say Bedonie expressed "deep-seated hatred toward specific groups" in prior conversations and said he wished to harm them, marking a dangerous shift from online ranting to real-world preparation.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not yet released details on specific potential targets, which groups were allegedly targeted, or whether Bedonie successfully acquired any weapons or tactical gear prior to his arrest.
What's next:
Bedonie was booked into Maricopa County jail on one felony count of making a terrorist threat. He is scheduled to appear in Maricopa County Superior Court on Oct. 12.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from documents filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, Maricopa County Prosecutor Ashley Stetson, the Mesa Police Department and the FBI.