DES MOINES, Iowa — An armed California man was arrested recently in Iowa while allegedly on his way to the White House.
Police say the man, identified as 25-year-old Kuachua Brillion Xiong, had an assault rifle and ammunition in his possession, as well as a “hit list” that named President Joe Biden; Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical advisor; Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, formerly known as Facebook; and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Xiong was pulled over on Dec. 21 after police observed him driving aggressively, according to a criminal complaint. Police suspected he could be planning criminal activity due to the man’s behavior. During the traffic stop he “began talking about his disapproval for government due to the sex abuse of children, some of which that has occurred by President Biden,” he said.
Xiong was taken to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office for further questioning.
During an interview, Xiong allegedly told authorities he’d worked at a grocery store in Merced, California, until two months ago – and that his employment was a “cover until called upon by God to combat evil demons in the White House,” according to the criminal complaint.
Police say Xiong said he allegedly began gathering equipment to carry out the deed, including an assault rifle with magazines, ammunition, body armor, medical supplies, dark clothing, a grappling hook, food and cash, according to the complaint.
Xiong allegedly told to police that he left his home in Sacramento on Dec. 18 to drive straight to the White House to kill people in power, and added that he would not have stopped if he had not been pulled over by the authorities, the complaint details.
Police say he allegedly compiled his “hit list” of “evil” people to kill via videos on TikTok. Xiong allegedly stated he would kill Biden unless the president promised to comply with his demands, the complaint added.
“When concluding the interview, (Xiong) stated that nothing would stop him from carrying out his plan of gaining access to the White House and killing the persons on his ‘hit list.’
Xiong allegedly said that if released from custody, he would immediately resume traveling to the White House in Washington, D.C. and ‘do whatever it takes’ to complete his plan,” Secret Service Special Agent Justin Larson wrote in the complaint. “(The man) stated that he has no intention of returning to California to see his family because he plans on dying while fighting evil demons at the White House.”
The defendant’s attorneys filed a notice Thursday that he intends to rely on an insanity defense at trial.
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The QAnon conspiracy theory holds the false belief that high-level government figures, Democrats and celebrities are secretly engaged in child sex trafficking.
Xiong has been charged with one count of threats to a former president, according to the criminal complaint, although it’s possible additional charges could be added by a grand jury in a later indictment. Iowa court records show the man also was cited for speeding.
Reporter William Morris contributed to this report.
Follow Andrea Sahouri on Twitter: @andreamsahouri