Plot unfolds to assassinate Obama on national TV, a 4th arrest, more details

More details emerging from Denver as we write this in the predawn hours on the now-suspected plot to assassinate Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama with a high-powered rifle on national television during his outdoor acceptance speech at Invesco Field on Thursday night.

Authorities have reported a fourth arrest in the unfolding plot that The Ticket first wrote about here a few hours ago at the end of Monday night's Democratic National Convention events at the Pepsi Center.

We knew then that authorities in suburban Aurora had stopped a pickup truck for swerving between lanes early Sunday morning in what they thought was a routine drunk driving incident.

But in the rented vehicle of Tharin Gartrell, a 28-year-old convicted felon (see photo), they found two high-powered scoped rifles, ammunition, sighting scopes, radios, a cellphone, a bulletproof vest, wigs, drugs and fake IDs.

According to Brian Maass of Denver's KCNC Channel 4, under questioning Gartrell implicated two other men -- Nathan Johnson, who is 32, and Shawn Adolph, who is 33 -- and Johnson's girlfriend, Natasha Gromack. Johnson also reportedly confirmed the plot to FBI and Secret Service interrogators. (See video below.)

One of the men, Adolph, reportedly wore a ring with the Nazi swastika. He was injured when he jumped out of a hotel window fleeing Secret Service agents. All are now in custody on drug and weapons charges.

U.S. Atty. Troy Eid declined to elaborate on Monday but said there is no credible threat to the party's convention or to the freshman Illinois senator, who was campaigning in Kansas City on Monday and traveling to Montana today.

But the television station reports that under questioning the men admitted there was indeed a plot to kill Obama during his speech before some 70,000 supporters and a nationwide television audience.

More details are expected to emerge later today when Eid holds a news conference at 4 p.m. Denver time.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: Associated Press / Aurora Police Dept.

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Comments

[charlie]

anyone else surprised at this? He's black, hes liberal, we have people like Ann Coulter saying liberals should all be dead (no, seriously, they sell t-shirts saying so) and on and on.

Being black and/or liberal to these people is like being jewish in Germany in 1936.

[Long Time Reader]

Um... Is this real?

How can I trust a source who has THREE S's at the end of his name?

Brian Masss? Really?

[Ray]

This is utterly disgusting and sadly I'm not surprised. It's reasons like these that I wish the United States was more like other countries where those who plotted to kill the leader were immediately executed. This has to be the highest form of treason and we need penalties so severe that anyone thinking about killing a leader will afraid for themselves and their family.

www.sethandray.com

[Team Obama]

Michelle did a great job last night! We are expected a 25-30 point jump in the polls by the end of the week. Thank you for your support Chicago. Here is a sneak peak at the latest Obama ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Here are some other upcoming ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Obama Biden '08

[Nancy Goldstein]

According to police today, this related to a drug deal. It had absolutely nothing to do with Obama. Come on LAT!

[Truth be Told]

Yet another carefully timed stunt by the Dems to show Obama vulnerable. Shameless.

[James]

I can't believe that Cletus the Slack-jawed Yokel would get mixed up in something like this. Yet here is, posing as somebody called 'Nathan Johnson'. I bet the rest of the Simpsons cast feel terribly let down.

[mikeD]

Ignorant gutter trash will try to tear this country apart. Wannabe Nazis can't stand the fact that the country won't be run by another "old white man".

Not to worry...imagine how long they will last in prison. I give'em a month.

[Dave Atkins]

This plot is appalling.

I am grateful for a great combination of fine standard police work and quick response by our Federal Agencies.

First glance shows hatred fueled by meth abuse (4.4 grams is a lot of meth) and perhaps racial hatred, evidenced by the Nazi ring.

Sen. Obama cannot ever had been ignorant that this animus is out there, unchecked by any consideration of him or his family. He may not have served in the military but he obviously demonstrates great personal courage every day he steps out of safety into this possibility to dare to lead us.

[Continuum]

Just gotta love the FBI. They blow-off the assasination conspiracy until the local folks point out the high powered rifles, long range scopes, the bullet proof vests, and the other conspirators. The FBI has quickly become the Key Stone Cops of the 21st century.

[John Jeffrey MacGinnis]

Thank GOD these lowlife idiots didn't get the chance to carry out their ill-planned, senseless, evil plan! And gee, I wonder how a youngster like Gartrell was able to get his hands on all of those weapons?? I suppose this is why Republicans are pro-gun, 'cause their candidates don't get assassinated--their gruntworkers do it for them.

[Carol]

Why is this information posted as a blog, and not as a regular article?

[Ruben]

It's hard to believe there can still be people like this in the States today. Maybe there can't be peace between all people, so long as any differences remain among us.

[Kim in LA]

Should we be surprised by this?

What I want to know is, who hired them for the hit job?

[Andrew727]

I hope they string-up the four attempted assasins, taser the hell out of them, and use their own rifles on them. We have a chance to have a real American President, and these bozo's pull something like this. May all four rot in prison hell!

- Andrew727, MALL727net -

[Anne W.]

I'm appalled. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not. This is the outcome of Republican hate politics, little as decent Republicans want to admit it. The US has become a country where people are murdered for liberal politics--as they were in the Tennessee Valley Unitarian-Universalist Church. As Bill Gwatney was in his Little Rock office. There have been others, and there will probably be more. I hope Mr. Obama won't be one of them.

[Jonnyboy]

Well this is pretty awful. Even if you don't care for Obama, some crazies trying to kill him in front of 70,000 supporters is absolutely horrible.

[Sascha]

A technical question.
What would happen if a major party presidential nominee were assassinated before the election? Who would became the candidate? The VicePresidential candidate? Or would be the dead candidate remain on the ballott and another man chosen by the electoral college in case he wins?
If I'm not mistaken this has never happened before.

[madison]

I hate that stuff like this happens but i bet there will be other incidents like this, the secret service guys must be losing there minds.

[Mike]

It's a sad comment on our society, but honestly, who didn't see something like this coming? Here's hoping the Secret Service stays at the top of their game.

[fdsdf]

Ah, is it those 'blacks' doing it again. No wait, they're white, therefore you see a bunch of excusing, blame deflecting comments. Blame dems, blame LAT. Anyone but the perpetrators themselves. White privilege at its worst.

[LT]

I'm hoping the media is trying to downplay this to discourage "copy cats".
I definately hope they don't believe that any plot to kill someone "not credible".
The justice system takes criminal threats so seriously (at least in this state) that you don't even have to have the ability to carry out a threat to get a felony conviction for criminal threats. The main requirement, but not only, is that the person being threatened takes it seriously enough to fear for their life.

[CJ]

What a quandary for America's so called, "white, working class", (Which is apparently what we call racist these days). They know the country may not survive the Bush clone, who loves lobbyist, cheap labor, and war even more than his predecesser. Yet they cannot fathom casting their vote for anyone who isn't white. Question is,"Do they love America more than they hate black people?" ...and by the way, remind me, why it is that so many whites hate black people.

[West Virginia?]

Those earrings look so cute on Gartrell. He will new friends in no time in prison.

[Michelle]

JC,
If it was known why so many whites hate blacks, maybe you could be told why so many blacks hate whites. Have you noticed who most blacks are voting for in this election?