https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/middle-tennessee-white-supremacist-explosive-drone-arrested-charged/51-ed3d4029-0d8f-4c04-b504-caf4febf6c99KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A white supremacist is in custody after authorities said they thwarted his plans to destroy an energy facility in Middle Tennessee and brought him into custody. Skyler Philippi, 24, from Columbia, Tennessee, faces charges of trying to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying to destroy an energy facility.
A complaint said Philippi began talking about destroying an energy facility as part of his accelerationist ideology. This kind of ideology generally calls for widespread destabilization through the rapid growth of specific systems, or through violence.
The complaint outlines a conversation Philippi had with a confidential source, where he talked about his belief that attacking electricity substations could destabilize areas across the country and further his accelerationist beliefs. He also spoke with the source about his plans to derail a train in Middle Tennessee and asked for help getting a train de-railer, according to authorities.
Later, the complaint said Philippi told another person he had written a manifesto that discussed his desire to attack "high tax cities" and industrial areas. In that conversation, he also talked about getting into a shooting involving a Black person in Louisville and said he was previously affiliated with white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups: the Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance.
The groups have targeted racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ+ community, the government, journalists and infrastructure. His manifesto also included references to white supremacist literature.
