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A QAnon supporter drove 800 miles to DC for March 4 and was 'willing to die' to realize his 'crazy stupid' plans

Mar 21, 2021, 19:17 IST
Business Insider
Members of the National Guard wear protective face masks on duty outside of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2021 in Washington, DC.Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
  • Ian Alan Olson traveled to DC ahead of QAnon's fake 'inauguration' date on March 4.
  • He told Capitol police that he had "big" plans and was "not afraid to die," according to a criminal complaint.
  • Two weeks later, Olson was arrested by the FBI for shooting paintballs at active servicemen.
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An armed QAnon devotee drove 800 miles from Wisconsin to Washington, DC, and had plans to do something "crazy stupid," according to a criminal complaint first reported on by the Daily Beast.

Ian Alan Olson was in DC ahead of March 4 - a highly anticipated date for QAnon followers. Some believers of the discredited conspiracy thought that the day would result in former President Donald Trump's reinstatement and the beginning of "The Storm."

The day before this failed fantasy date, Olson told a member of the National Guard that he was "maybe going to do something crazy stupid tomorrow."

Shortly after, Olson was approached by Capitol police. He told the police officer that he wanted to "test the National Guard tomorrow to see if they were loyal to the people or to the President," according to the complaint.

Not being shot would demonstrate the National Guard's loyalty to "the people," Olson explained to the cop.

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Olson did not reveal any specific details of his plans but said that his actions would "be big," led by God and that he was "willing to die to fulfill his mission." His intended actions would also "be bigger" than jumping the Capitol's fences, the complaint alleges he said.

The QAnon devotee shared how he would wear ceramic armor on his back to protect him from bullets but would not wear armor on his front because he was "not afraid to die." He added that "things can only be resolved by the barrel end of a gun," according to the complaint.

On March 15, Olson was arrested after threatening to shoot Army reservists with an AR-15-style paintball gun.

He drove his 2016 blue Subaru to Wisconsin Army Reserve Centre in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Olson then shot two to three rounds of paintball projectiles at active-duty reservists, the criminal complaint says. "This is for America," he is reported to have said.

Following his arrest, his vehicle was - covered in graffiti with various QAnon slogans - was searched by local police. Insider the car, officers found a gas mask, throwing knives, a taser, police scanner, a hand-written manifesto, and other items, the complaint said.

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Olson was booked into the Waukesha County Jail on three misdemeanor state charges, according to the Daily Beast.

He refused to speak to a mental health worker, the media outlet reported.

On March 19, the FBI arrested Olson on two federal charges. He is charged with an assault on United States servicemen.

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