A transgender suspect charged with bombing and firing shots at a Tesla facility in Oregon has ties to an organized leftist gun club with chapters across the U.S., the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors called the defendant, Adam Lanksy, “a competitive shooter” and former member of the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA) in a court filing arguing for pretrial detention. The SRA claims to help “working class” people arm themselves for “self and community defense” and provides firearm education and live training, according to multiple reports and its own statements.
Lansky Case Memo by Hudson Crozier on Scribd
Lanksy, who has gone by the female name Allison Tesla online, was charged with illegally possessing an unregistered destructive device and attempted arson after prosecutors said he began repeatedly damaging a Tesla dealership with weapons in Salem, Oregon, in January.
The SRA and an attorney for Lansky did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment. The SRA’s bylaws forbid members from “advocating for illegal actions and activities of any kind.”
The group called for more leftists to get armed and band together for protection in a July 2024 blog post ahead of President Donald Trump’s reelection. The statement came two weeks after a gunman nearly killed Trump and killed one of his supporters at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The SRA again called for organization in a March X post in response to the Trump administration’s mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
“Build your networks now,” the SRA said at the time. “We protect us.”
The SRA has more than 60 chapters across the U.S., including three in Oregon, where Lansky’s anti-Tesla attack allegedly occurred, according to its website.
Lanksy allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at the dealership while on surveillance video in the early hours of January 20, the day Trump returned to office with a plan to appoint Tesla CEO Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Lansky also aimed a rifle at a witness who was driving away from the scene, prosecutors alleged. In February, Lansky allegedly fired shots into the same Tesla center.
The DOJ said Wednesday that Lansky poses a “danger to the community” and a flight risk if released. A judge nonetheless ruled in favor of pretrial release, but Lansky will be held in custody until 5 p.m. on Thursday to give the government a chance to appeal the decision, The Oregonian reported.
“He is skilled and well-practiced in the use of firearms and combat scenarios,” the DOJ warned about Lansky. “The [improvised explosive devices] used by Lansky were all manufactured by him using everyday items, empty glass bottles, gasoline, fabric, etc., all these items remain easily accessible to Lansky in the community if released.”
The local district attorney’s office is also considering potential charges against Lansky, the DOJ said.
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