Steven Homoki, 30, of Spring Valley, was arrested Thursday after an investigation by the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force into videos he posted on YouTube, in which he appears to be practicing for a mass shooting. According to local news outlets, Homoki was charged with possession of an assault weapon, possession of a high-capacity magazine and child endangerment.
California man arrested after posting YouTube videos appearing to show mass shooting practice
by Robert GeartyA Southern California man has been arrested after posting graphic YouTube videos shot at a downtown San Diego hotel in which he appears to be practicing for a mass shooting with assault-style weapons.
Steven Homoki, 30, Spring Valley, was taken into custody Thursday in connection with the videos, according to reports. The videos show him loading and unloading the assault weapons which he then points down at pedestrians passing below the window. He can also be heard describing to himself what he is doing.
"You drop one mag, you pick up another, right? Then you pick up another,” he is heard saying in one of the videos. “Then you drop it, you drop the gun, pick up another gun. What you do, this is what you do."
Homoki appears to have recorded himself with a body camera, NBC 7 San Diego reported.
He was booked into San Diego County Jail for possession of an assault weapon, possession of a high-capacity magazine and child endangerment, Fox 5 San Diego reported.
His arrest came after an investigation into the videos by the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force.
San Diego Police Lt. Shawn Takeuchi said the task force received a tip Monday “concerning very distressing YouTube videos threatening firearm violence linked to San Diego," Fox 5 reported.
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“Just three days ago Mr. Homoki was an unknown poster of disturbing videos and is now behind bars, his threats neutralized,” the station quoted the head of the San Diego FBI Office Scott Brunner as saying.
Homoki posted the videos under a pseudonym in September, Fox 5 and other local media reported.
The videos were shot in March, NBC7 reported.
The station reported that police seized 14 registered firearms, including two assault-style rifles, from Homoski's home when he was taken into custody.
During a jailhouse interview Sunday with CBS 8 San Diego, Homoski said that looking back, the videos don’t look good and have gotten blown out of proportion.
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"It was a curiosity, a miniature art project for myself,” he told the station. “Just to get into a mindset and just kind of booked a night in a hotel to relax and do something fun and different. These were supposed to be private videos, not public."