A man from Columbia has admitted guilt to two serious charges related to his plot to use what he believed were explosives to target an energy facility in Nashville, as reported by WKRN. The Department of Justice has confirmed that 24-year-old Skyler Philippi entered a guilty plea for attempting to employ a weapon of mass destruction and for his efforts to destroy an energy facility. These charges are linked to a series of events that began in June 2024, when Philippi allegedly expressed a desire to carry out a mass shooting at a YMCA located in or around Columbia.
In the following month, Philippi reportedly elaborated on his intentions to attack multiple substations with the aim of creating widespread chaos. Investigators revealed that he conducted research into prior assaults on electric substations and determined that using firearms alone would not suffice to achieve his objectives. Consequently, he devised a plan to attach explosives to a drone and fly it into the targeted facility.
As the investigation progressed, Philippi shared a manifesto with an undercover operative, outlining his intentions to focus on high-tax cities and revealing his previous connections to white nationalist organizations. In September 2024, he allegedly placed an order for explosives from undercover agents and took part in a Nordic ritual, during which he proclaimed that it was “time to do something big.” Philippi and the undercover agents then traveled to the intended target site, where he was preparing to deploy the drone, which he believed was armed with explosives, when he was apprehended.
John A. Eisenberg, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, stated that Philippi had aspirations of executing a catastrophic attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure, but his plans were thwarted by the FBI. Donald Holstead, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, highlighted the potential impact of Philippi’s scheme, noting that it could have disrupted power for thousands of residents and critical facilities, including hospitals. Philippi is set to be sentenced on January 8, 2026, and he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment along with a potential fine of $250,000. The FBI’s Nashville Field Office is continuing its investigation into this case.