UFC White House attack suspects allegedly met through TikTok group chat

The men accused of planning a mass-casualty attack at a UFC event on the White House grounds allegedly met through a TikTok group before taking their discussions to encrypted messaging apps, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital. Here, prosecutors say, they allegedly developed plans to kill government officials and other participants.

Federal authorities have arrested five men accused of planning a mass-casualty attack on Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House grounds, attended by President Donald Trump and other senior government officials.

Members of the group first connected around March through a TikTok community called “Vanguard of the Old,” where participants vetted each other through identification documents, exercise videos and tactical content before moving on to private Signal chats, according to federal court records. The applications do not further disclose whether Vanguard of the Old is an official organization or simply an online chat community.

The filings identify five participants arrested in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska and describe a network that prosecutors say evolved from online discussions into operational planning for an attack targeting UFC Freedom 250. Investigators allege members discussed using explosives-laden drones to trigger an evacuation before opening fire on politicians and other targets as crowds fled the area.

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While prosecutors claimed the group developed operational plans, some officials, such as Vice President J.D. Vance, maintained that the conspiracy never grew to the point of becoming an imminent threat.

“There was a lot of security there,” Vance said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Five.” “And it turns out the plot wasn’t that advanced after all. They weren’t in town.”

Court documents identify the group’s alleged leader as an Omaha, Nebraska, man known online as “The Shepherd.” Prosecutors say Shepherd helped create the organization’s layered structure, guiding planning discussions and coordinating members in multiple states through encrypted communications.

Once in these encrypted chats, members organized themselves into a tiered structure that assigned participants to specific functions, prosecutors said. Court records describe Tier 1 members as front-line operators who are expected to perform missions and obtain firearms and body armor; Other ranks included drone operators, getaway drivers, recruiters, logistics staff, technical support and social media advocates.

Court records repeatedly reference military-style training and organization.

Defendant Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio man whose phone helped investigators identify other members of the alleged network, told investigators he believed many participants had prior military experience, according to court documents, while his mother said some members represented themselves online as former military personnel. However, the applications do not state that any defendant has verified his military service.

Members are also divided into smaller chat groups based on operational roles and locations, according to the researchers.

Investigators say the network extends far beyond the five people charged. According to court records, Proper’s phone contained the primary Signal chat with approximately 19 participants, as well as smaller operational chat groups organized by role and location.

Tycen Proper. (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office)

Tensions arose among federal agencies over the decision to make the case public. Secret Service leaders wanted to delay the release of the investigation until additional arrests were made because they feared making the investigation public would alert others and complicate the ongoing investigation, two senior U.S. officials told Fox News.

The dispute became public Tuesday, when Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn, responding to questions about the case at an unrelated event, emphasized that the Secret Service had “been conducting the investigation from the beginning” and suggested that investigators were deliberately avoiding public disclosure as long as the case remained active.

“We chose not to leak this to protect the integrity of the investigation and security plan,” Quinn said.

Authorities allege Tycen Proper acquired an AR-style rifle and a bullpup rifle painted with an American flag. (Ministry of Justice)

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“I’ll tell you a phrase I learned early in my career in the New York field office: Don’t choke on your own cigarettes,” he said.

The investigation began when Proper’s mother, concerned about his recent behavior, contacted local authorities on June 10, according to court records.

Proper’s father told investigators that his son had recently met people online, planned to “scout” with them and planned to travel that weekend to meet members of the group. Family members also alleged that Proper purchased firearms, body armor, ammunition and tactical equipment and quit his job in preparation for what he described as “missions” and “expeditions.”

Bryan Omar Roa. (Ministry of Justice)

Michael Alan Thomas. (Ministry of Justice)

Investigators allege that after obtaining a warrant for Proper’s phone, they discovered Signal chats that included maps of Washington D.C., suggested sniper locations, drone launch sites, and discussions of escape routes.

Prosecutors alleged the members discussed potential congressional targets, power infrastructure and other political figures before focusing on UFC Freedom 250.

Proper’s mother told investigators that the group members were allegedly angry about government corruption and the Epstein files.

Members of the group allegedly believe the United States is heading in the wrong direction and needs to be “broken down” and rebuilt, according to court records. It was claimed that some participants argued that people with connections to Jeffrey Epstein should not rule the country.

Prosecutors also allege discussions increasingly focused on U.S. support for Israel and lawmakers seen by group members as aligned with pro-Israel interests.

Members discussed targeting politicians they believed were affiliated with pro-Israel lobbying organizations, according to the filing, while other conversations touched on billionaires and what participants described as “capitalist elites.”

Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, of California, allegedly met for a training session in late May, according to messages obtained by law enforcement and shared in court records.

“Noble and I received training today on exiting a vehicle, anti-concealment, containment, and basic marksmanship,” Thomas wrote to the group on May 25, according to court records.

FBI Director Kash Patel stands with singer Alexis Wilkins at the end of the UFC Freedom 250 mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House on June 15, 2026 in Washington. (Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images)

By early June, discussions in the group’s encrypted chats had shifted to operational planning surrounding last Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250, according to court records..

Court records show members discussed a meeting spot in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where participants from multiple states were allegedly expected to meet before heading to Washington.

Investigators also allege members exchanged information about safe houses, retreats and escape routes, which included traveling south along the Potomac River.

The group’s alleged plan focused on creating chaos at a White House event before targeting government officials and other attendees as they fled, according to court records.

Prosecutors said members discussed drones carrying explosive devices on the north side of the UFC arena, triggering panic and forcing the crowd to evacuate. Investigators allege members of the group planned to position shooters and snipers along projected evacuation routes south of the venue, where politicians and other targets would be vulnerable.

President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, UFC President Dana White and guests stand in the Octagon during the UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Evan Vucci/Reuters)

A participant interviewed by the FBI in West Virginia said members of the group allegedly called off the operation on Friday, two days before the incident, according to court records. The reported cancellation came after authorities began investigating the group following a phone call from Proper’s mother on June 10.

Authorities arrested suspects in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska on Saturday and Sunday after executing a series of search warrants connected to the investigation.

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“They didn’t really do that much planning,” Vance said. “And I understand why people are so affected by this. I think the political violence and rhetoric in this country is out of control. But thank God we have good law enforcement. We have good FBI, because it didn’t even come close to execution.”

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.