Norwalk man who police say showed interest in mass shootings sentenced to prison

The sentencing came after Brandon Wagshol recently took a plea deal, pleading guilty to assault and illegal possession of high-capacity magazines.

News 12 Staff

Jun 29, 2021, 9:21 PM

Updated 1,192 days ago

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A young man from Norwalk who police say showed an interested in mass shootings was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday.
The sentencing came after Brandon Wagshol recently took a plea deal, pleading guilty to assault and illegal possession of high-capacity magazines.
Police arrested the then-college student at his home on Bedford Avenue following a raid almost two years ago.
Wagshol received a 10-year sentence suspended after four years. Judge Gary White handed that down during a remote hearing and agreed with the prosecution that Wagshol's past is packed with red flags.
Investigators say it was Wagshol's alarming social media posts suggesting plans for a mass shooting that led them to raid his apartment on Bedford Avenue. It was there where they say they found a stockpile of weapons, ammo and body armor.
Assistant State's Attorney Dan Cummings cited Wagshol's history of violent threats.
Wagshol's arrest warrant says he threatened to shoot another student in sixth grade, saying "I'll make Virginia Tech look like nothing."
Two years later, police received calls about Wagshol's Facebook page, after he listed "PLANNING A MASS MURDER!!!!" and "I'M GENOCIDAL" under his activities and interests.
Wagshol's attorney said his client should be forgiven for things he said and did in his youth. Attorney Darnell Crosland also asked for leniency due to Wagshol's struggles with mental illness.
"People like Brandon Wagshol need help, they need rehabilitation, and he's been in jail for quite a bit of time, and so I'm asking the court to consider that in the sentencing," Crosland said.
That assault charge Wagshol pleaded to is from when he attacked his father while out on bond in the weapons case.
The judge also ordered Wagshol to serve five years of probation following his release and to register with the Deadly Weapon Offender Registry.