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To: FJB who wrote (437943)	7/29/2011 7:31:25 PM
From: FJB	4 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793912

Killeen gun dealer credited with helping to foil terror plot Posted On: Thursday, Jul. 28 2011 11:44 PM By Colleen Flaherty Killeen Daily Herald http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=58902 A beleaguered Killeen gun dealer was heralded Thursday for providing the Killeen Police Department with information that led to the arrest of suspected terrorist Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo. Greg Ebert, a clerk at Guns Galore, where alleged Nov. 5, 2009, Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan bought the weapons used to carry out his deadly attack and where earlier this month a man shot himself in the head, called Abdo "suspicious." The 21-year-old arrived at the shop at 1 p.m. Tuesday and purchased an unusually large amount of smokeless gunpowder, Ebert said, which can be used as an explosive. Ebert is a retired KPD sergeant. While most recreational gunmen buy smokeless powder one canister at a time, "(Abdo) randomly selected six canisters of smokeless powder, a mix of fast and slow," he said. Combined powders with different burning rates "can be highly volatile." Abdo brought his canisters to the counter, Ebert said, and asked, "What's smokeless powder?" "If you don't know, then why are you buying it?" Ebert recalled thinking. In addition to the six pounds of powder, Abdo also purchased three boxes of shotgun ammunition and a magazine for a pistol, Ebert said. While there was nothing illegal about his purchase, Abdo's rude demeanor, coupled with the fact that he traveled to the store in a taxi, stuck with him throughout the afternoon, Ebert said. About 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Ebert said he called an old contact at the Killeen Police Department. About 2 p.m. Wednesday, KPD arrested Abdo, an AWOL soldier from Fort Campbell, Ky., on a warrant from the Fort Campbell Provost Marshal's Office charging him with possession of child pornography and AWOL. "Suspicious materials" were later located in Abdo's hotel room, according to KPD. It is anticipated that federal charges will be filed for possession of bomb-making materials. An employee at America's Best Value Inn and Suites on South Fort Hood Street said Thursday that Abdo was arrested at the motel. Investigators stayed until about midnight Wednesday searching his room, said the employee, who did not identify herself on the telephone. She did not know how long Abdo had been staying there. Bobby Baker, manager of Killeen's Luxury Cab Co., said Abdo was picked up at Best Value about 1 p.m. Tuesday and driven to Guns Galore. He also stopped at an Army surplus store, Baker said, declining to name which one. Abdo's taxi driver was questioned since Wednesday by state and federal authorities, he said. During a news conference Thursday, KPD Chief Dennis Baldwin said a tip from a local gun shop helped lead to Abdo's arrest. He said nowadays, it's important for community members to look out for and report suspicious activity. Baldwin said Abdo may have been planning an attack on military personnel. U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, released a statement commending Guns Galore for its help in apprehending the suspect. "Thanks to quick action by a Texas gun dealer in alerting local police to a suspicious character, and a prompt and vigorous response by the Killeen Police Department, we may well have averted a repeat of the tragic 2009 radical Islamic terror attack on our nation's largest military installation," he said. Although Guns Galore has been "taking it on the chin the last couple of years," Ebert said, it tries to be a good community partner. "This is a decent business," he said. "We try very hard to provide for the needs of our customers and shooting sportsmen."