Andrew Ivan Aman, Florida man arrested after threatening to murder children at Bellamy Elementary School in Tampa cause of ‘obnoxious pride in America’.
A Russian born Florida man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to stab to death elementary school students because of their ‘obnoxious pride in America’ and his apparent hatred for the country.
Andrew Ivan Aman, 22, is accused of having planned to ‘stab as many children as possible’ at the Bellamy Elementary School in Tampa, Florida, after objecting to the educational facility’s red, white, and blue color scheme.
Andrew Aman, who was interceded en route to the school with a kitchen knife hidden in a handbag, had also intending on stabbing any adults who got in the way the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said according to a report via FOX13.
Aman who has a history of several mental disorders, decided to target the school because he despises the US and the school’s ‘obnoxious’ national pride, citing ‘the large American flag mural on the building’s exterior’.
According to his Facebook page, Aman’s is originally from Abakanets, Russia. It remained unclear how long the man had been living in the United States.
Andrew Ivan Aman, 22, planned to attack a Tampa area elementary school because he “hated America” & despised the large American Flag mural on the front of the school building. Aman packed a large kitchen knife in his bag with the intent to “stab as many children as possible” pic.twitter.com/vrUqUsbOig
— 慰逸ＲｅｌａｘＴａｒｇｅｔ (@crapitsheckboy) August 14, 2019
‘I am a patriot of God.’
Aman’s plan was only stopped by a chance encounter with his roommate while en-route to the school.
The accused reportedly confessed the plot to his roommate, who then, in turn, alerted authorities and kept Aman distracted until they could arrive.
The anonymous informant is also said to have convinced Aman not to carry out his scheme, police said.
He was apprehended and taken into custody. No firearms were discovered in a later search of his home.
Aman, who once attended Blake Performing Arts School, has since been sectioned for mental health evaluation under the Florida Mental Health Act commonly known as the Baker Act.
A post on his Facebook page, dated August 2017, said: ‘Patriotism is not defined by the love you have for your “country”. Tis the respect and natural humility you have for the earth and society around us whether that be in our neighborhood or statewide, so yes I can say I am a patriot of god.’
In a memo warning deputies about the alleged threat, authorities said, ‘Law enforcement should use extreme caution in dealing with [the subject.]’
Crystal Clark, chief communications officer for Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
‘An investigation is ongoing and charges could follow,’ Clark said according to WFLA. ‘However, there is currently no safety threat for students, parents or staff of Bellamy Elementary.’
The elementary school was named in honor of Francis Bellamy, who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1882.
