Mass shooting plan was "fantasy" Somerset man tells court
32-year-old Reed Wischhusen from near Weston-super-Mare has been speaking in his defence at Bristol Crown Court
Last updated 10th Oct 2023
A Somerset man accused of planning a mass shooting has told a court it was all 'just fantasy', but admitted once taking a loaded sub machine gun to a police station.
32-year-old Reed Wischhusen from Wick St Lawrence near Weston-super-Mare has been speaking in his own defence during a trial at Bristol Crown Court today (Tuesday 10 October).
He is charged with several firearms and explosives offences after a search of his home by police last year found several weapons, the ingredients to make bombs, a full police uniform including body armour and several other alleged disguises including masks and wigs.
A document was also found on his computer which detailed an alleged plan to kill at least 10 people, which he denies ever intending to carry out.
'It's just fantasy'
Adam Vaitilingam KC, defending, took Wischhusen through his lengthy written journal in which he discusses mass shootings and the manufacture of bombs.
"Did you ever build a rocket launcher?" he asked him.
Wischhusen replied: "Pretty quickly I gave up on it.
"I designed one to launch a chemical weapon - not an explosive charge.
"I was going to make some mind control substance and launch it at the police."
Mr Vaitilingam asked: "Were you going to do this?"
The defendant replied: "No. It's just fantasy."
Wischhusen said he never completed the rocket launcher or had all the materials to complete it.
He added: "I had done some research in mind control substances and there was an incapacitant the Russians were experimenting with."
In the revenge document, Wischhusen is alleged to have drawn up plans targeting people who had bullied him at school, as well as the Avon and Somerset Police firearms licensing staff who twice rejected his shotgun certificate application.
The four-page document also lists the types of weapons and explosives he would need to carry out his attacks.
"You handed in a loaded sub machine gun full of ammunition?"
During cross examination by Jonathan Rees KC, Wischhusen was questioned extensively about his alleged plan and his efforts to build several weapons at his home, over several years.
He was asked why he had the ingredients to make improvised explosive devices or pipe bombs, including two bits of pipe.
"What did you have that for?" Mr Rees KC asked.
"As an inert device," Wischhusen said.
"So it looked like a bomb."
"Well they look like bits of scaffold to most people," Mr Rees KC suggested.
"That's correct," Wischhusen said.
"If you put two bits together and attach a timer to it, it looks like a bomb."
Asked what he did with it, Wischhusen replied it was merely an ornament.
"Just to please myself (that) I've got one," he said.
Wischhusen was also asked about handing in several weapons to police during an Avon and Somerset Police weapons amnesty in 2022, including a homemade sub machine gun.
He admitted handing in a working weapon, which was loaded with live ammunition at the time.
"So you went to the police station with a loaded sub machine gun full of ammunition?" Mr Rees KC asked?
"It wasn't fully loaded, it only had around five bullets in it," Wischhusen said.
Asked why, he said, "well I had to hand it in didn't I."
He was also asked about owning several masks, and a wig.
Asked what the wig was for he said, "well as you can see I'm going bald."
Asked if he was joking Wischhusen said no.
"You bought the brown wig to hide your thinning hair?"
"That's correct," Wischhusen said.
He added he wore it to work on Halloween last year.
'I got power over them by writing it down'
Wischhusen told the court he had no intention of hurting anyone named in the "Revenge" document.
"It was a psychological release and feelings like I am getting back at people," he said.
"It's why people write their feelings down and tear it up and throw it away - just I forgot to throw it away.
"I got power over them by writing it down."
Mr Vaitilingam for the defence asked: "Did you intend to harm anyone?"
The defendant replied: "No."
Jurors also heard why the defendant had bought 1,000 primers, which he said were for manufacturing 9mm rounds at home for the submachine gun he had made.
Wischhusen said he only made about 10 rounds in total and had never fired them in the gun and did not have any intention of harming anyone with that weapon.
He told the court he had tried to join the Army in 2021 but was rejected because he had the eye condition blepharitis.
Wischhusen, of Wick Road, Wick St Lawrence, Somerset, denies charges of having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, having an explosive substance, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life and possessing a prohibited firearm without a certificate.
He has admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate in relation to the handgun incident last year.
The trial continues.
Read more: North Somerset man accused of planning mass shooting & bombing attack