Tesla Cybertruck terror plot foiled: Tech-hating Florida man Paul Overeem arrested after threatening ‘mass casualty’ attack at event attended by Elon Musk in Texas
- Paul Ryan Overeem, 28, was arrested Wednesday in Austin
- He complained on Instagram that electronics 'control his thoughts'
- Overeem planned to attack an event Musk attended in Austin yesterday
A 28-year-old Florida man has been arrested for threatening a “mass casualty” attack at the Tesla Cybertruck event attended by Elon Musk yesterday in Austin.
Paul Ryan Overeem was taken into custody in Austin on Wednesday, the day before the event, and remains in custody.
Police suspect he drove his truck from Orlando to Austin after sharing what he was planning to do in a private chat on Instagram.
The chat was alerted to the police and Overeem was traced via the telephone number linked to his account.
Paul Ryan Overeem was taken into custody in Austin on Wednesday, the day before the event, and remains in custody
Elon Musk at the unveiling of Tesla Cybertruck yesterday in Austin, Texas
The FBI was notified of his comments and he was arrested. It is unclear whether he had in his possession a weapon or some other type of device that could cause mass damage.
Overeem allegedly told the friend: 'But yeah, so at the (sic) Tesla event I'm planning to join (sic) so it's up to you guys to stop me.
“I plan to kill people even on November 30th and I would like you to do something about it so I don't have to” and “I want to die.”
He also posted that he was becoming disillusioned with the modern world and had a particular disdain for technology.
'I want to die. My thoughts have not been free for over a year. All the electronics around me,” he said.
Musk has not yet commented on the foiled plot.
He was at the event yesterday to unveil the Cybertruck, a futuristic, bulletproof vehicle that has been in the works for years.
“What we have here is a better truck than a truck, while also being a better sports car than a sports car in the same package,” he said while standing on the podium.
The suspect's sinister Instagram profile. He was traced through the phone number associated with the account