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PULSE POINTS
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Skyler Philippi, 24, pleaded guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and planning to attack Nashville’s energy infrastructure, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Skyler Philippi, law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville field office, and DOJ prosecutors.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The planned attacks targeted Nashville, Tennessee, and reconnaissance was conducted as recently as September 2024. The plea deal was announced on September 9.
💬KEY QUOTE: “For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure.” – Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg
🎯IMPACT: The thwarted attack could have caused widespread power outages, affecting thousands of Americans, businesses, and hospitals.
IN FULL
Skyler Philippi, a 24-year-old from Columbia, Tennessee, has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and plotting a drone attack on Nashville’s power infrastructure. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the plea agreement on Tuesday, emphasizing the seriousness of the planned act of domestic terrorism.
Federal prosecutors said Philippi began planning in June 2024, initially considering a mass shooting at a YMCA in or near his hometown. By the following month, his focus had shifted to attacking electrical substations in an effort to “shock the system” and cause widespread disruption. He studied prior attacks, explored using a drone to deliver explosives, and expressed interest in materials such as TATP and C-4.
“For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure. He acquired what he believed to be explosives, surveilled his target, and equipped a drone to attack an electrical substation,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
In August, Philippi reportedly sent a manifesto to an undercover agent. He also admitted to having previously been affiliated with violent neo-Nazi groups, including the Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance, both known for violent action. By September, he had conducted surveillance on a specific substation and attempted to acquire explosives, including black powder and C-4.
On November 2, 2024, Philippi met with undercover agents in a meeting that included what prosecutors described as a “Nordic ritual.” During that meeting, he declared it was “time to do something big.” He was arrested at the scene in possession of an armed explosive device and a powered-up drone, ready for deployment.
U.S. authorities have faced criticism for supporting foreign forces with similar ideologies to Philippi overseas. In June 2024, for instance, former President Joe Biden approved arms for Ukraine’s Azov Battalion, a military unit internationally scrutinized for its neo-Nazi character.
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