JSO: 69-year-old man arrested in alleged mass shooting plot involving the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida

Jacksonville, FL — It's disturbing to imagine what could have happened.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement say a recent investigation and subsequent arrest may have helped prevent a mass shooting.

According to Sheriff Mike Williams, they received a tip that a man, identified as Bernandino Bolatete, 69, was plotting a mass shooting at the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida on St. Johns Bluff Road.

Williams says they had an undercover detective interact Bolatete to confirm his plans and then reached out to both the FBI and the FDLE for assistance in the investigation.

"The investigation confirmed that the suspect was making plans to carry out a mass shooting and already had the weaponry necessary to complete the attack," says Williams.

During the investigation, Williams says Bolatete expressed interest in buying a firearm silencer to that undercover detective, which eventually lead to his arrest by JSO's SWAT team. He's since been transferred to the custody of the FBI.

Court documents reveal some of the conversations between Bolatete and the detective, including that Bolatete did not plan to survive the shooting, instead mentioning a 'suicide by cops.'

Bolatete is currently charged with the illegal possession of a firearm silencer, but we're told other charges are pending at this time. If he’s convicted of the charge, he faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.

Williams says they are confident his plot has been disrupted.