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A Lidl employee has been sentenced to life in prison for pretending to be a police officer and planning an attack on a police station, as well as plotting to shoot former teachers and classmates.
Reed Wischhusen, who is 32 years old, planned to take a close-range shot at police officers at the Avon and Somerset Constabulary headquarters located in Portishead. He also made a list of targets which included a school.
The jurors were informed that he possessed a fascination with notorious individuals such as the Dunblane gunman Thomas Hamilton, Raoul Moat, and American mass murderers. He also confessed to constructing weapons and bombs with the intention of executing a “hitman-style” assault on his previous school and those who had bullied him in the past.
He had recorded his twisted schemes in a file titled “revenge”, consisting of 1,700 words and outlining three possible attacks.
Reed Wischhusen, the gunman, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 12 years.
The police department of Avon and Somerset, as represented by the PA Wire.
He gathered a stockpile of handmade weapons such as pistols, sub-machine guns, and a shotgun, along with various types of ammunition, bombs, grenades, and poison, in order to execute his plans.
Last November, law enforcement officers visited the residence of Wischhusen and his father on Wick Road in Wick St Lawrence, Somerset. It was reported that Wischhusen had bought blank ammunition, which led to the end of his plans.
Described as a “real house of horrors”, officers were confronted with a chaotic Wischhusen who attempted to shoot himself in the head with a concealed pistol in his bathroom, before running downstairs with the gun to confront armed officers.
The defendant was shot twice by officers out of fear that they would be killed. He then spent several months in the hospital recovering.
During victim impact statements presented in court, the officers who encountered Wischhusen shared the emotional toll the incident had taken on them.
Someone mentioned having recurring dreams that they will be shot whenever they enter a house. They expressed fear about this.
When officers visited his residence, Wischhusen made an attempt to shoot himself.
The Avon and Somerset Police, represented by the PA Wire, are responsible for this information.
They expressed that the most significant lesson was realizing the worth of one’s life and how easily it can come to an end.
This event reminds us of the fragility of life and is something that will stay with me forever.
During the search of his property, law enforcement discovered equipment in his outhouse that was capable of producing firearms, sub-machine guns, ammunition, and explosives.
In the beginning of his document about “revenge,” he stated that it was a strong driving force for him. He expressed a desire to retaliate against those who caused him stress and worry over the years, as it has been consuming his thoughts like a malignant disease.
In the first phase, the plan was to eliminate 10 individuals, including former classmates, teachers, and police officers. This would be carried out using a modified gun equipped with a silencer, while wearing a disguise and a wig.
He intended to leave two police employees alive so they would experience feelings of guilt as survivors, using the Dunblane murderer Hamilton as his example.
Next, he entered Priory School in Worle, his former school, and proceeded to shoot and murder teachers while also throwing pipe bombs. He managed to escape from the police afterwards.
Reed Wischhusen smiles as he describes gun as ‘pride and joy’
The Avon and Somerset Constabulary released a statement through SWNS.
The strategy involved a final assault on the main office of Avon and Somerset Police. The perpetrator would either set up and activate pressure cooker bombs, then shoot at the employees with sub-machine guns, or surprise the officers and gain entry to the facility to detonate explosives.
The jury was informed that he intended to take his own life after committing the crime. He had confirmed his intentions by stating that he had been influenced by extremist beliefs, even before joining the National Rifle Association in the United States.
“I may receive widespread attention, potentially even on an international level, as a life member of the NRA. They could be held responsible for allegedly influencing me towards extremism,” he stated. “However, I have held these beliefs long before joining the NRA.”
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“Although not officially recognized, the idea of creating guns at home would undoubtedly provoke strong reactions from anti-gun democrats, which could be quite cathartic.”
“It’s inevitable, no matter what.”
for drugs
Police from Avon and Somerset released body camera footage of their search for drugs on the suspect’s property.
Wischhusen refuted the conspiracy and claimed it was merely a “fantasy”, stating he never had any intention of causing harm to anyone.
Explaining his literary works, he informed the jurors: “It served as a psychological outlet and allowed me to feel like I was getting even with others.”
After a trial, his claims of innocence were dismissed and he was convicted of possessing an explosive substance with the intention of putting lives at risk, owning a firearm with the intention of endangering lives, having ammunition with the intention of endangering lives, and possessing a prohibited firearm without proper certification.
He had previously confessed to having a weapon with the intention of causing fear of violence, having an illegal weapon, and having ammunition without a valid firearm license.
The defendant has been found guilty of an eighth charge of possessing an explosive substance by Judge Martin Picton’s instruction to the jury.
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He had obtained various arms and explosives to aid in his intended assault.
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The judge at Bristol Crown Court has sentenced him to a minimum of 12 years in prison after finding him guilty of multiple charges involving weapons, ammunition, and explosives.
Andrew Pritchard, a member of the Crown Prosecution Service in South West England, stated that Wischhusen had a disturbing fascination with mass shootings and, if not intercepted, had the capability to carry out his deadly intentions with devastating outcomes.
He aimed to deliver a forceful and aggressive message to those who he believed had mistreated him over the course of his life, including classmates who bullied him, police personnel who denied his gun permits, and his superiors at his job.
During the course of this trial, he tried to portray himself as someone who casually tinkers with weapons and explosives.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the prosecution team for their efforts in dissecting Wischhusen’s testimony as this picture was not accepted by the jury.”
Source: independent.co.uk
