Alexander Paffendorf is a Carlsbad, California man whose FBI detention and subsequent restraining order stem from Discord messages he exchanged with Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, the 15-year-old who killed two people at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16, 2024. Federal agents detained Paffendorf, then 20, at his family’s home the day after the shooting, after he admitted telling Rupnow he planned to arm himself with explosives and a gun and attack a government building. He was never criminally charged. In April 2025, a San Diego Superior Court judge issued a three-year gun violence restraining order barring him from owning or possessing firearms.
Why the FBI Detained Him
Discord flagged the conversation first. The platform notified the FBI about messages containing suicidal statements and threats of violence against government buildings.1Mercury News. Carlsbad Man Who Messaged With Wisconsin School Shooter Barred From Gun Ownership On December 17, 2024, FBI agents and Carlsbad police went to Paffendorf’s home. According to the gun violence emergency protective order filed by Carlsbad police, agents had reviewed the Discord exchanges and concluded that Paffendorf and Rupnow had been plotting a mass shooting.2San Diego Union-Tribune. Police Sought Guns From Carlsbad Man Questioned by FBI in Wisconsin School Shooting
During the interview, Paffendorf admitted he told Rupnow he “would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building.”3ABC News. Protective Order Issued for Man Accused of Plotting Attack The court filing did not detail the communications or alleged plans beyond those admissions.4NBC News. California Man Told Wisconsin Shooting Suspect of Plan to Attack Government Building He was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold and then released.5San Diego Union-Tribune. Carlsbad Man Who Messaged With Wisconsin School Shooter Barred From Gun Ownership
No firearms were registered to Paffendorf, and none were found in his home when authorities served the order.6WMTV. Californian Connected to ALCS School Shooter Barred From Owning Guns for 3 Years
The Wisconsin Shooting Connection
Rupnow, a 15-year-old student at Abundant Life Christian School, brought two legally purchased handguns to the small private school on December 16, 2024, killed a substitute teaching coordinator and a ninth-grader, injured six others, and died by suicide at the scene.7CNN. Natalie Rupnow, Madison School Shooting8NBC News. Wisconsin School Shooting Victims Named The wider investigation into Rupnow’s online contacts led authorities to Paffendorf in California, and his exchanges with her became the basis for the FBI’s interest in him.
The January 2025 Hearing
Paffendorf first appeared by video on January 3, 2025, before San Diego Superior Court Judge Devon Lomayesva. He apologized, telling the court, “In terms of just the whole thing, I’d like to apologize to the court,” and said he was “prepared to accept the consequences of his actions.”9CBS News. Wisconsin School Shooting: Alexander Paffendorf Apologizes for Connection He did not elaborate on his role. Because he was under active criminal investigation and had no attorney, Judge Lomayesva delayed the full hearing and kept the gun confiscation order in place until April 4, 2025. A detective told the court the FBI expected to wrap up its investigation within two to three months.10Spectrum News 1. California Man, Abundant Life Christian School Wisconsin School Shooting
The April 2025 Hearing and the Three-Year Order
The decisive hearing took place on April 28, 2025, before San Diego Superior Court Judge Blair Soper. San Diego police Detective Justin Wallace, a member of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, testified that the Discord messages between Paffendorf and Rupnow contained discussions of “prior mass violence attacks,” “fertilizer bombs,” and videos on making bombs. Wallace also testified that Paffendorf had visited white supremacist and antisemitic websites and had made detailed statements about suicidal thoughts.1Mercury News. Carlsbad Man Who Messaged With Wisconsin School Shooter Barred From Gun Ownership11Fox 5 San Diego. Court Bars Carlsbad Man Linked to Wisconsin School Shooter From Obtaining Firearms
Representing himself, Paffendorf argued the messages were “off-the-cuff” and “highly inappropriate” but did not represent real plans. He said he had sent them in an attempt to pursue a romantic relationship with Rupnow and told the court “there was no plan for an attack.”12Seattle Times. Californian Connected to Wisconsin School Shooter Barred From Owning Guns for 3 Years
Judge Soper rejected that account. He pointed to the level of detail in the discussions of specific weaponry and how to obtain and use it: “Severe research had to be conducted to know some of the language you were speaking of.” He added, “This incident just happened in December, and it is way too soon to determine that you are authorized to own a gun. This case is just too severe.”11Fox 5 San Diego. Court Bars Carlsbad Man Linked to Wisconsin School Shooter From Obtaining Firearms Soper issued a three-year gun violence restraining order effective until 2028, prohibiting Paffendorf from owning or possessing firearms.5San Diego Union-Tribune. Carlsbad Man Who Messaged With Wisconsin School Shooter Barred From Gun Ownership
Why He Was Not Criminally Charged
Despite the admissions, Paffendorf has not been charged with any crime. At the April hearing, an attorney for the Carlsbad Police Department told the court criminal charges were not expected.5San Diego Union-Tribune. Carlsbad Man Who Messaged With Wisconsin School Shooter Barred From Gun Ownership A spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office separately confirmed the office was “not involved in any criminal prosecution against him.”4NBC News. California Man Told Wisconsin Shooting Suspect of Plan to Attack Government Building
The outcome reflects the purpose of California’s gun violence restraining order law. The state attorney general’s office has described the GVRO as a “critical gap-filler intervention” that lets authorities remove firearms from someone showing significant warning signs of violence but who may not yet meet the threshold for criminal prosecution.13California Attorney General. GVRO Implementation Guide A UC Davis study found threats of mass shootings accounted for nearly 30 percent of GVRO cases analyzed between 2016 and 2018.14UC Davis. California’s Red Flag Law Utilized in 58 Threatened Mass Shootings Under the April 2025 order, Paffendorf remains barred from owning firearms until 2028.