In a hearing considering the potential bail for alleged Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira, prosecutors claimed that the US service member had a history of making violent threats and researched mass shootings.
The Thursday hearing saw the presiding judge sidestep a decision on bail for Teixeira, opting to instead listen to arguments and make a decision at an unspecified time. He did not state whether he would issue a written ruling or if the court would reconvene before he issues his final decision.
Prosecutors during the hearing pointed to Discord chats and Teixeira's 2018 high school suspension as proof he is too dangerous to be released while awaiting trial. The suspension stemmed from Teixeira's discussions about guns at the time.
In a court filing released ahead of the hearing, prosecutors argued Teixeira posted on an unidentified social media website that he wanted to kill “a ton [expletive] of people,” which he saw as “culling the weak minded.” He had also told a fellow Discord user he was thinking about converting a minivan into an “assassination van.”
The document further claims Teixeira sought advice on which rifles would be easily fired from the back of an SUV, adding that he would be shooting in a “crowded urban or suburban environment.”
The filing also states Teixeira had a gun locker in his room at his mother’s residence that included “AK” and “AR” -style rifles, handguns and other weapons. Some media outlets erroneously reported that the documents claim he had a bazooka near his bed but the documents only say that authorities found a bazooka in one of the residences he resided in (the other being his father’s house) and does not state where it was stored.
Prosecutors also alleged Teixeira used government computers to research multiple mass shootings, including Ruby Ridge, the Las Vegas shooting, the Buffalo supermarket shooting and the Uvalde elementary school shooting.
Prosecutors have further argued that Teixeira remains a threat to the community not only because of the potential for violence but the potential he has to reveal more classified information.
Officials claim Teixeira accessed classified information that “far exceeds what has been publicly disclosed on the Internet to date,” and that he studied the information extensively so would be able to recite some from memory without access to the actual documents.
This, they say, would not only risk him leaking more information online but would make him a prime candidate for adversarial countries to recruit who could then help him flee the United States.
Prosecutors also note Teixeira attempted to obstruct justice in the case, saying that authorities found a smashed laptop, tablet, iPhone and Xbox gaming console in a dumpster near one of his homes. Officials also say he changed his number, shut down the Discord chatroom and encouraged other users to delete their messages and not cooperate with law enforcement.
What's the Defense Saying?
Teixeria’s defense lawyers say the government is being “hyperbolic” and have argued he no longer has access to classified information, underscoring the government is greatly exaggerating his threat to the community.
“[T]he government presents messages it contends were posted by Mr. Teixeira without any indication that he ever committed even a single act of violence,” defense attorneys argued.
The defense team has argued “there is no allegation in the affidavit that Mr. Teixeira had any intent for these documents to become widely available on the internet or desired to disrupt the geopolitical affairs of the United States."
However, the judge overseeing the case has countered that he found it hard to believe Teixeira was unaware documents shared online were likely to move beyond the chatroom he shared them on.
The team has also argued Teixeira has proven he has no intention to flee justice, noting that when his identity became public “he sat on his mother’s porch reading a Bible in his uniform-compliant undershirt, awaiting the arrival of law enforcement.”
The defendant’s father also told US media outside the courtroom that he would turn his son in if he violated the conditions of his release. “My son is well aware of the fact that if he is released and does anything against probation, I will report it to his probation officer or anyone else,” the elder Teixeira said.