A concerned mother called authorities over her son’s alleged role in plotting an attack at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House over the weekend after she noticed alarming behavior.
Officers responded to the family’s home on the evening of June 10 after the mother, Danielle Proper, called about a “disturbance” involving her son Tycen Proper, according to a criminal complaint. She grew concerned over his recent firearms purchases and communications with random individuals online who claimed to be military veterans and Christians.
The 19-year-old allegedly used $3,000 of his graduation money to purchase “several boxes of ammunition (estimated by law enforcement to be in the thousands of rounds of ammunition), two plate carriers with AR-style magazines, an AR-style rifle, and a bullpup rifle painted with an American flag.” The weapons were turned over to law enforcement.
Proper later admitted that he and multiple others were plotting to execute an attack involving explosive drones and snipers at the White House event Sunday, according to the complaint.
The suspect’s mother, an Ohio-based cosmetologist, broke her silence Wednesday, posting a Bible verse to her Facebook page.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” the post read.
One user commented: “I can’t begin to imagine how difficult your choice, the right one, was, but you undoubtedly saved untold numbers of lives, including Tycen’s. You know we’re praying … We love you guys!”
Another wrote, “You have done the hardest thing but the Lord will hold you tightly in His tenderest care because of it!”
Danielle Proper on Facebook
She also shared a video of a Christian musician singing about her desperation for “help.”
“Oh God, I’m desperate, down on my knees, send help from heaven cause that’s what I need. Redeem this wreckage, restore my peace. I’m not asking I’m begging, Lord come through for me,” the musician sang.
Proper was arrested in Ohio and hit with four criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder against any officer or employee of the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony, according to the complaint.
Law enforcement authorities also arrested four others for their alleged roles in the plot.
Proper’s parents told authorities that the 19-year-old had recently quit his job and begun messaging online with unknown individuals about plans to carry out “missions” and “recons,” according to the complaint.
Proper’s family members said he had become increasingly isolated and recently made “sympathetic comments about Adolf Hitler” while “posting anti-Semitic comments on Facebook,” the complaint said.
Proper’s mother said her son’s conversations with his alleged coconspirators online led him “to lean heavily into his religion,” adding that “she believed that those individuals were using religion to manipulate and influence her son.”
Upon searching Proper’s phone, authorities found Signal groups “that laid out detailed plans” to carry out an attack in Washington, D.C., featuring maps of sniper positions and potential drone launch sites, according to the complaint. Proper later confessed to his leading role in “planning … a coordinated attack” during the UFC event at the White House.
Proper wrote in one of the chats on or about May 13 that he “got a possible target,” whom he identified as “Marsha Blackburn … senator for Tennessee,” saying they should target her for taking “money from the Israel pro Israel lobby and supports them,” according to the complaint.
On May 31, he allegedly sent messages saying, “These are people we’re going to focus on,” before sharing photos of Senator Jim Justice, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Rep. Carol Miller, and Rep. Riley Moore. The four images appeared to have been taken from the website “TrackAIPAC.com,” which shows how much cash each lawmaker received “from pro-Israel PACS.”
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