Nikita Casap, a 17-year-old from Wisconsin, has been charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide after the tragic deaths of his parents earlier this year. Casap has been subsequently arrested and charged with nine felony counts. This includes the two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, and he is still in custody with bail set at $1 million. He is currently awaiting trial on charges of murder. Plus, he faces a separate count of concealing a corpse — an unusually charged legal and ethical leaders’ perfect storm of the case.
Casap’s parents’ tragic deaths are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to allegations against Casap. A recently unsealed court document reveals that the teenager allegedly drafted a manifesto calling for the assassination of former President Donald Trump and sought to instigate a political revolution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found this alarming manifesto as part of their investigation into Casap’s activities.
The manifesto is said to include details so bone chilling that it shows Casap’s intent. It alleges that he was of the opinion that the assassination of President Trump would lead to disorder within the United States government. The FBI document claims that coup-style removal of the president would result in tearing society apart. It implies that removing the vice president at the same time would increase this chaos. The investigation indicated that he was part of “a network of individuals holding neo-Nazi racially motivated extremist views.”
Further, during the execution of a search warrant against Casap’s phone, the FBI found a particular image. It showed what was necessary to turn a drone into an attack vehicle. This casts enormous doubt on his competence and preparedness with respect to violent attacks against high-profile targets. The recently released document shows that Casap openly discussed his plans to classmates. He even implied to one of them, “I’ll become friends with a person with a gun and steal the gun.”
The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department took decisive action by obtaining a search warrant for Casap’s phone on March 4. This move gave law enforcement the ability to learn additional details surrounding his supposed plan. FBI agents testified that Casap told others that he was going to assassinate the president. They announced he wanted to use that money to mount an insurrection against the government.
In a statement included in the FBI’s findings, it was emphasized that “In sum, Casap appears to have written a manifesto calling for the assassination of the President of the United States.” It demonstrates that he funded half of the cost of a drone and explosives. These were meant to serve as weapons of mass destruction.
We hope that at his arraignment on May 7, Casap will have to answer for the serious impact of his actions. Authorities are still trying to determine the scope of his plans and their potential threat to national security.
As this case unfolds, it raises significant concerns regarding youth radicalization and the potential for extremist ideologies to influence individuals to commit acts of violence.