Armed men arrested in plot to attack Philly vote counting center

Two heavily armed men were arrested early Friday morning in a plot to attack the city’s convention center where presidential vote counting is going on, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.

The pair from Virginia were armed with handguns and an AR-15 rifle outside the convention center, the police said.

The police said they received a tip about the men and alerted the FBI. A Hummer belonging to the pair, reportedly covered in QAnon stickers, was parked outside the convention center.

While investigating the vehicle, the two men approached the officers. Police said one man had a concealed handgun and the other had a visible handgun. An AR-15 rifle was inside the Hummer, police said.

Both men had a license to carry a firearm in Virginia, but Pennsylvania does not recognize those licenses, according to the police.

The men, who were both taken into custody, were not identified. It is unclear if state or local charges will be filed against them.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center has become a flashpoint amid the election uncertainty. President Trump has a lead in Pennsylvania, but that is dwindling and he is desperately trying to stop the vote counting.

On Thursday, the convention center was the sight of dueling protests with one side demonstrating to stop the vote counting and the other demanding it continues.

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