San Antonio Standard

A New Braunfels resident, Cameron Darrick Peterson, has admitted guilt in a federal court in San Antonio to attempting to receive a firearm for committing a felony. This development follows the thwarting of planned mass murder attacks by federal and local law enforcement.

Court documents reveal that Peterson, aged 20, began planning mass shootings in November 2022. His first attempt to acquire a firearm occurred on January 4, 2024, when he tried to purchase a 12-gauge shotgun from a pawn shop in New Braunfels. Despite completing the necessary background check, he was denied due to his age and the type of firearm involved. A second attempt on May 31 to purchase an assault weapon-style shotgun from the same pawn shop also resulted in denial.

Following these attempts, FBI agents secured an arrest warrant on June 5, leading to Peterson's immediate apprehension by the New Braunfels Police Department. A search of his residence uncovered an altered .22 caliber long rifle with a sawed-off buttstock and six magazines loaded with 60 rounds.

Further investigations on June 6 included reviewing Peterson’s Instagram account under a federal search warrant. Agents discovered statements about plans to attack a gas station. Additionally, while incarcerated, Peterson was recorded instructing a witness to hide or destroy surveillance footage of a grocery store he had planned to target.

A subsequent search on June 10 revealed more concerning findings at Peterson’s home: a box containing 11 aerosol containers and other materials for creating destructive devices. One container was deemed readily operational as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which was not registered with the National Firearms Registry due to Peterson's age restrictions.

Peterson is scheduled for sentencing on February 5, 2025. He faces up to ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.

The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force along with the San Antonio Fire Department, New Braunfels Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Eric Yuen are prosecuting the case.