KIDDER, Mo. — A Caldwell County, Missouri, man appeared in federal court on Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri, charged with conspiracy to commit murder for his alleged role in a plot to attack the recent UFC event held at the White House.
Daniel Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri, could face life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of a single count of conspiracy to commit murder.
Neighbors near Eskridge's rural home said they began noticing police activity along the gravel roads in the area on Saturday. The community described Eskridge as an ordinary neighbor whose alleged actions left them stunned.
"I haven't seen anything suspicious out of them," one neighbor said.
"Yeah, just another family," another neighbor said.
KSHB 41 is not sharing their identities out of concern for their safety.
The Alleged Plot
According to a federal criminal complaint and affidavit filed June 15, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Eskridge's alleged involvement in the conspiracy began as early as March 1, 2026.
Court documents state Eskridge communicated with co-conspirators across the country, using the online alias "Fulcrum" across multiple encrypted messaging platforms, including SimpleX, Signal and Telegram. A co-conspirator identified in the affidavit stated Eskridge was "running the show."
The plan, according to the affidavit, was to deploy explosive-laden drones over the north side of the UFC octagon during the June 14 UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House. The explosions were intended to force the crowd — including high-value targets such as President Trump, members of Congress and Cabinet officials — to evacuate south, where snipers and additional shooters would target them as they fled.
Court documents state Eskridge outlined a specific operational structure for the attack that called for $1,300 to fund drone and explosive purchases and organizing five teams of three people each that would consist of a sniper, a support operator and a drone operator.
The affidavit states Eskridge also discussed attacking the power grid by using drones to strike specific electrical transformers. He also allegedly inquired about obtaining an electromagnetic pulse device and explored the possibility of stealing military ordinance from an ammunition manufacturing facility.
According to the affidavit, the most recent search on Eskridge's Google Maps application was for the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant in Parsons, Kansas.
Documents state Eskridge described his motivation as igniting a "revolution," writing in online chats that the group needed a "trigger event" to signal that "the revolution has officially begun." He also stated any target "would need to be big" and "someone both Democrats and Republicans would unite over."
"What kind of an idiot thinks they're going to pull that off in the White House?" one neighbor told KSHB 41 regarding the details of the alleged plot.
How investigators unraveled the plot
The investigation began June 10, 2026, when officers with the Knox County, Ohio, Sheriff's Office and Danville, Ohio, Police Department responded to a disturbance call at the home of 19-year-old Tycen Proper.
Proper's parents contacted authorities after becoming concerned about their son's recent behavior, including firearm purchases and online communications with unknown individuals.
Proper's father told officers his son had recently acquired camping gear, ballistic plates, a shotgun, a rifle, thousands of rounds of ammunition, extra magazines and plate carriers — spending approximately $3,000 of graduation money on the equipment.
Proper also quit his job and was planning to travel the weekend of June 13, 2026, to meet the online group and conduct what he described as "hit and run missions."
Proper was transported to a local hospital and admitted on an emergency basis for homicidal ideations. The Knox County Sheriff's Office contacted the FBI on June 11, 2026.
A search of Proper's residence and cell phone revealed detailed planning chats on Signal, including maps of the National Capitol Region with potential sniper and drone launch locations marked.
Proper's phone also contained chats on SimpleX in which co-conspirators, including the user identified as Eskridge, discussed targets, operational roles and escape routes — including a plan to travel from the White House to the Potomac River after the attack.
Proper was charged in the Southern District of Ohio on June 12, 2026, for his role in the plot.
Investigators identified Eskridge as the "Fulcrum" user through a combination of TikTok account analysis, chat content and physical evidence.
The TikTok account @danieleskridge was the first account to both follow and be followed by @fulcrumresist, and had reposted many of its posts.
A review of Eskridge's Missouri driver's license photo confirmed the same individual appeared on the @danieleskridge account.
Chat records also described "Fulcrum" as a 32-year-old union carpenter and former union boilermaker who lived on several acres on rural property about an hour north of Kansas City, Missouri — details consistent with Eskridge's known background and residence in Kidder, Missouri.
Evidence found at Eskridge's home
On June 13, 2026, federal agents executed search warrants at Eskridge's residence. Authorities seized the following firearms and tactical equipment:
- Smith & Wesson Model M&P-15 5.56mm caliber rifle
- Remington Model 700 .308 Win caliber rifle
- Yildiz YP12SC 12-gauge pump action shotgun
- Taurus G3 9mm pistol
- 2 tactical vests with ballistic plates and ammunition-filled magazines
- Baofeng UV-21R radio
- Multi-cam gun belt with medical kit
The tactical gear was found neatly packed in the corner of Eskridge's kitchen near the main entry of the residence.
Eskridge's spouse was interviewed following the search. She told investigators Eskridge had described himself as a recruiter for the group. She also admitted to have seen Signal messages appear on a shared tablet and that Eskridge had purchased a large amount of tactical equipment in recent months, including a $700 rifle he painted himself, along with a large quantity of ammunition.
Eskridge's wife also stated to investigators that he built a firearms range on their property approximately three weeks before his arrest, according to court records.
Neighbors said they witnessed FBI agents removing items from a shed on the property and taking Eskridge away in handcuffs.
"The FBI agents were walking around, they were pulling stuff out of that shed, they were putting it in bags, they brought him out in cuffs," one neighbor said.
Court documents also indicate Eskridge was building a safe house in one of those structures. Neighbors also shared it wasn't uncommon for Eskridge to muddle around in the back shed.
A community searching for answers
Neighbors described Eskridge as a family man who displayed his Christian faith openly outside his home, which make the allegations difficult to reconcile.
"What happened from loving God to wanting to harm people? What happened? What triggered that?" one neighbor asked.
"He was all about God and his kids, which you know is a righteous thing, and now he can't take care of those kids no more," another neighbor added.
One neighbor credited the mother of co-conspirator Tycen Proper — whose call to law enforcement set the investigation in motion — with preventing the attack.
"Thank God for the lady that was able to call, she's the one who saved the day," a neighbor said.
Despite the shock, the community expressed a desire to move forward.
"Everybody is really nice to everybody, that's what we came out here for. To get away from the meanness, but man if it's not coming out here too," one neighbor added.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
