Skyler Philippi, a 24-year-old from Columbia, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility in Nashville, as announced by the Department of Justice.

In June 2024, Philippi expressed intentions to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA and later planned to attack an electrical substation with a drone equipped with explosives, believing it would disrupt the energy system. After researching past substation attacks and finding firearms insufficient, he ordered what he thought were explosives from undercover FBI agents, with whom he shared his manifesto and past ties to white nationalist groups.

In September 2024, Philippi prepared to execute the attack, performing a Nordic ritual and declaring it the start of a “New Age,” but was arrested at the site. The FBI’s intervention prevented a potentially devastating attack on critical infrastructure. Philippi faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, with sentencing scheduled for January 8, 2026.