Man Allegedly Threatened to 'Shoot Up' Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Had 70 Firearms, Hundreds of Ammunition Rounds

A Michigan man is facing up to potentially 20 years in prison after allegedly making a threat to shoot up a local Air National Guard base.

On Sunday, personnel from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan, contacted the Michigan State Police Second District Special Investigation Section. The personnel alerted the police department of an individual who threatened to "shoot up" the base.

Detectives launched an investigation into the threat, tracing it back to 53-year-old Roque Eugene Diegel, who worked at the base until recently. By Monday, detectives located Diegel and arrested him without incident.

Detectives from the Michigan State Police Department executed a search warrant of Diegel's home and found more than 70 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside. Upon locating such a large number of firearms and ammunition, officers seized the supply and removed it from the home.

At the time of Diegel's arrest, it was unclear as to what the motive was for the threat. It's also unclear what the exact wording of the threat was or how it was communicated to personnel.

Diegel was charged with one count of false report or threat of terrorism, according to Michigan court records. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. EST at 41B District Court in Clinton Township, Michigan. If convicted, the Michigan State Police said he could face up to 20 years in prison for the felony charge.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base is home to units from every branch of the United States Armed Forces with the 127^th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard being the host unit at the base. An estimated 3,000 full-time civilian and military personnel work at the base on full-time employment, according to the website.

The base was created in 1917 after a local auto pioneer, Henry B. Joy, leased his airfield to the military for training pilots and other military exercises. It's named after Army Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, who was killed while flying on a demonstration flight with Orville Wright in 1908.

An investigation into what occurred is still being conducted and the Michigan State Police explained that no further information would be released until after Diegel's arraignment. The suspect remained in custody ahead of his appearance in court, when he will likely enter a plea of either guilty or not guilty.