Kerrville Man Jailed for 5 Years for Threats, Firearm Possession

San Antonio, TX – An alarming threat to carry out a mass shooting at a local Walmart store in Kerrville, Texas, has landed a man behind bars for five years. Coleman Thomas Blevins, 31, was sentenced yesterday in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Blevins made a chilling social media post on May 27, 2021, stating, “I’m going to Walmart,” accompanied by a picture of him holding a black assault-style rifle. The post was followed by another message where Blevins threatened to “Shootings (sic) up Walmart” and spend the rest of his life in prison for it. The next day, officers executed a search warrant at Blevins’ apartment and discovered 556 rounds of ammunition.

In addition to the ammunition, a black AR-15 .223 rifle with four magazines was found in a vehicle belonging to Blevins’ roommate. The rifle matched the one Blevins was holding in the picture he posted. Further investigation revealed three other occasions where Blevins had recently posted pictures of himself holding firearms or ammunition.

Blevins was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a previous felony drug conviction. His guilty plea on November 28, 2023, led to the five-year prison sentence for one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza condemned Blevins’ actions, saying, “Threats to carry out mass shootings are reprehensible.” Esparza praised the quick work of law enforcement, stating, “Thanks to the quick work of our law enforcement partners, this threat remained just that and did not turn into a tragic event.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp emphasized the severity of Blevins’ actions, saying, “Blevins threatened to commit violent acts and had access to weapons that would have allowed him to carry out those threats.” The FBI, with assistance from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs and Kelly Stephenson prosecuted the case under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust and legitimacy in communities and setting focused enforcement priorities. The program was launched by the department in 2021 with a violent crime reduction strategy based on core principles of community support, strategic enforcement, and measuring results.