‘We come to riot’: Illinois man livestreamed handing out explosives #News

An Illinois man livestreamed himself handing out explosives and destroying property — exclaiming at one point, “We come to riot, boy” at Minneapolis protests over George Floyd’s death, officials said.

Matthew Lee Rupert, 28, faces numerous charges including civil disorder, possession of unregistered explosives and participating in and organizing riots in the Twin Cities, according to court documents filed in federal court.

In videos posted to Facebook, Rupert showed himself handing explosives to others last week and encouraging them to throw them at law enforcement, according to an FBI affidavit.

“I’ve got some bombs if some of you all want to throw them back,” he said while handing out an item with brown casing and a green wick.

Shortly after a person throws a device, an explosion can be heard in the background, officials said.

Footage also showed him appearing to light a Sprint store on fire — before later entering and stealing from an Office Depot, according to the affidavit.

“We come to riot, boy! This is what we came for!” Rupert can be heard saying in that video.

He later shared on Facebook on Saturday that he was headed to Chicago to “loot” there, the affidavit said.

By early Sunday, he posted more videos of himself in and around the Windy City, where he talks about starting a “riot,” officials said.

Rupert was arrested early the same day for violating an emergency curfew in the city, officials said.

During his arrest, officers found several destructive devices, a hammer, a heavy-duty flashlight and cash in his vehicle, officials said.

Rupert appeared Monday for a hearing in federal court in Chicago, where a judge ordered him transferred to Minnesota to face the charges, according to the Star Tribune.

With Post wires