A Columbia man has been arrested by federal agents after planning to bomb a Nashville electrical substation as part of a white supremacist plot, according to the Department of Justice.
Details about 24-year-old Skyler Robert Philippi and his attack plans were revealed in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Philippi initially voiced a “desire to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia” and derail a train, before deciding to use an explosive drone to attack a Nashville substation instead.
“Driven by a racially motivated extremist ideology, the defendant allegedly planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power,” says FBI Director Christopher Wray in a news release.
Skyler Robert Philippi
“The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage,” Wray continues. “We are committed to hold accountable anyone who threatens or plans harm to critical infrastructure or seeks to hurt American communities through domestic violent extremism.”
Court documents note that Philippi voiced his violent extremist ideologies and planned the attack with two Federal Bureau of Investigation informants, identified in the documents as “UCE-1” and “UCE-2.”
In August, “Philippi told UCE-1 that he had written what he called a ‘manifesto’ outlining his desire to attack ‘high tax cities or industrial areas to let the [ethnic slur] lose money.’ Philippi told UCE-1 about his previous affiliation with the Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance.” Both are white supremacist groups operating in the United States.
Nashville has been the target of white supremacist actions throughout 2024.
Philippi built a drone “to avoid law enforcement detection,” telling an informant: “I definitely want to hit Nashville, like 100 percent, I want to get Nashville. I also know Louisville pretty god damn well, since I lived there. I spent about five months scouting out every single [power station] and even coming up with a game plan to hit it as fast as I could. I had whole maps made, printed out on paper, to actually do that.”
The FBI’s investigation included recorded phone calls in which Philippi discussed obtaining explosive materials. The informants supplied Philippi with several inert pipe bombs that he attempted to use in the attack.
On Saturday, Nov. 2, Philippi and the informants test-flew the drone near Franklin before traveling to a Nashville hotel that was to serve as the staging area for the attack later that night, having previously conducted reconnaissance of the substation.
A Nov. 2 photo allegedly showing Skyler Philippi test flying a drone outside Franklin
While at the hotel, the trio “conducted a Nordic ritual” that included “reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin.”
One of the informants gave Philippi the opportunity to back out of the attack, but Philippi responded that he was “fully committed” and that it was “time to do something big.”
“Following this conversation, Philippi and the UCEs left the hotel and went to a restaurant," the affidavit reads. "While at the restaurant, Philippi, who was carrying a handgun, indicated that if they were confronted by law enforcement following the attack, he would shoot at law enforcement."
At approximately 8:18 p.m. on Saturday, Philippi and the informants began launching the attack, and law enforcement agents moved in to arrest Philippi as he was preparing the drone with the inert explosives provided by the FBI.
“As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the release, "but the FBI had already compromised his plot."
If convicted, Philippi could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of attempting to destroy an energy facility. He could also face up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Williamson Scene.
