Two Pokémon fans have been arrested ahead of the game's World Championships in the US after police feared they were planning a violent attack at the event.
Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, were held on gun charges after they referenced the Columbine massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing in "threatening" posts on social media, police said.
Police quizzed the pair, who were due to compete in the championship final, at their hotel on Thursday as they were about to register for the event in Boston, it was revealed today.
They were released, but their car was seized after detectives learned they might have guns.
Officers later found a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15 rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a hunting knife in the car, which they had driven from Iowa to Massachusetts.
Neither man was able to produce a gun license for the weapons when asked, the Associated Press reported.
In a Facebook chatroom conversation involving several people, Stumbo is said to have referred to the AR-15 rifle with the message "MY AR-15 says you lose," prosecutors have stated.
They said Stumbo acknowledged posting, "Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come!!!" as the caption below a picture of Norton's car with the AR-15 and shotgun displayed on its trunk.
Players from more than 30 countries competed at the three-day, invitation-only event for a share of more than $500,000 in scholarship awards.
A spokesman for the Pokémon franchise, which includes card trading and video games, said in a statement: "Due to quick action, the potential threat was resolved.
"The Pokemon Company International takes the safety of our fans seriously and will continue to ensure proper security measures are a priority."
