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Man Threatened To 'Shoot Up' His Prince George's Workplace

By: WAMU Staff // July 27, 2012
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Firearms and ammunition recovered from the home of a Crofton, Md. man who threatened a shooting at his workplace, federal mailing contractor Pitney Bowes. 
Courtesy of Prince George's County Police Department
Firearms and ammunition recovered from the home of a Crofton, Md. man who threatened a shooting at his workplace, federal mailing contractor Pitney Bowes. 

Updated: Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

The man, who authorities believe was plotting a shooting at his workplace, has been admitted into Anne Arundel Medical Center, and could be there for up to a week, according to Prince George's County officials.

The suspect, Neil Edwin Prescott, 28, threatened to his employer, software and mailroom supplier Pitney Bowes, that he was going to "shoot the place up," referencing the Pitney Bowes facility in Capitol Heights, Md. Multiple threats were made in more than one phone conversation, the first of which was dealing with the man's pending dismissal, according to police.

The suspect allegedly told his employer, "I'm going to load my guns and blow everyone up," according to police.

A search of the suspect's home turned up more than 25 guns, including assault rifles and handguns, and "thousands" of rounds of ammunition, according to Anne Arundel County Police Deputy Chief Hank Stawinski. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also aided in the investigation.

The suspect was wearing a T-shirt stating, "Guns don't kill people, I kill people," when he first spoke with police July 26. Though he referred to himself as "a joker," there is no other known connection to a deadly shooting last week at a Colorado movie theater during the latest Batman movie.

"We can't measure what was prevented here," Magaw said during Friday's press conference. "But we think a violent episode was avoided because of the cooperation and collaboration of our police dpeartments and our federal partners."

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