Florida man accused of plotting ‘racially motivated act of violence’
BREAKING NEWS. AND THAT BREAKING NEWS NOW AT NINE IS UNFOLDING IN OSCEOLA COUNTY. GOOD MORNING I’M JASON GUY. I’M SANIKA DANGE THE TURNPIKE IS SHUT DOWN AFTER A SEMI FLIPPED. LET’S GET RIGHT OVER TO FIRST WARNING TRAFFIC EXPERT MEAGHAN MACKEY. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT THE FEED THIS MORNING. THAT SEMI TRAILER WAS ACTUALLY BLOCKING ALL OF THOSE NORTHBOUND LANES. AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE CREWS HAVE GOT IT MOVED OFF HERE INTO THAT RIGHT SHOULDER. THIS IS ALSO IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE ALONG THE TURNPIKE IN OSCEOLA COUNTY. SO TRAVELING NORTHBOUND THOSE NORTHBOUND LANES ARE STILL SHUT DOWN FROM SAINT CLOUD TRAVELING INTO KISSIMMEE. BUT THERE IS A DETOUR IN PLACE. LOOKING AT THAT MAP HERE, YOU CAN SEE YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO EXIT THE TURNPIKE AT US. 192 IF YOU CAN. I WOULD AVOID EVEN GETTING ON THE TURNPIKE AND TAKE US 192 OVER TO OBT AS THE DETOUR FOR THAT MORNING DRIVE. THE SHUTDOWN DOES STRETCH FOR ABOUT EIGHT MILES THIS MORNING, BUT LOOKING LIKE SENSITIVE IS OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. THOSE CREWS MIGHT START TO REOPEN THOSE LANES WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. THIS MORNING YOU CAN SEE THOUGH, THIS IS GOING TO HAVE A BIG IMPACT FOR DRIVERS TRAVELING NORTH IN KISSIMMEE. SO PREPARE FOR THAT SLOWDOWN. WE’VE BEEN MONITORING THE DETOUR ROUTE AND THE DELAYS THERE. GOING NORTHBOUND FROM THE CANOE CREEK TOLL PLAZA TO OSCEOLA PARKWAY ALONG THAT DETOUR ROUTE. SO FAR THIS MORNING, WE’RE STILL SITTING AT AN HOUR AND 16 MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. MEGAN. AND RIGHT NOW AT NINE, A COURT HEARINGS JUST GETTING UNDERWAY IN OSCEOLA COUNTY. THERE FOR A MOTHER ACCUSED OF HOLDING A SIX YEAR-OLD BOY UNDERWATER. THIS HAPPENED AT THE GAYLORD PALMS RESORT IN RECORDS SAY TIFFANY GRIFFITH ENTERED A POOL AT THE RESORT FRIDAY TO CONFRONT THE BOY AS HE PLAYED IN THE POOL WITH HER SEVEN YEAR OLD SON. GRIFFITH SAYS SHE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HER NONVERBAL AUTISTIC SON, AND TRIED TO CONFRONT THE BOY’S PARENTS ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. INVESTIGATORS SAY ALCOHOL COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN A POSSIBLE FACTOR. THIS MORNING WE ARE SEEING TEXT MESSAGES THAT ARE SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON THE CRUISE SHIP DEATH OF A TEEN FROM BREVARD COUNTY. YEAH, THEY WERE RELEASED IN A CUSTODY CASE, AND THAT’S BEEN THE MAIN SOURCE OF US GETTING INFORMATION INTO THE MYSTERY OF WHAT HAPPENED TO ANNA KEPNER ON THAT CRUISE SHIP. AS WESH TWO BOB HAZEN EXPLAINS, MANY OF THOSE TEXT MESSAGES FOCUS ON ANNA, 16 YEAR OLD STEPBROTHER. THAT BOY IS SAID TO BE THE SUSPECT IN ANNA’S DEATH, AND THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE CAME IN A MESSAGE FROM HIS MOM TO HIS DAD. SHE WROTE, QUOTE, CALL ME ASAP. IT’S AN EMERGENCY. THAT MESSAGE WAS SENT ON NOVEMBER 8TH AFTER 18 YEAR-OLD ANNA KEPNER WAS FOUND DEAD ON THE CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP. ANNA WAS A STUDENT AT TEMPLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN TITUSVILLE, AND OFFICIALS SAY HER BODY WAS FOUND UNDER A BED AND SHE’D BEEN ASPHYXIATED. SHE WAS ON THAT CRUISE WITH HER FATHER, HER STEPMOTHER AND STEP SIBLINGS, INCLUDING A 16 YEAR OLD BOY WHO RECORDS SHOW WAS STAYING IN THE SAME ROOM AS HER. THAT BOY IS SAID TO BE THE SUSPECT IN ANNA’S MURDER. IN THE MESSAGES TO HIS DAD, WHO WAS NOT ON THE CRUISE, HIS MOM WRITES, QUOTE, I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO HIM LAST NIGHT FOR UNDER TWO MINUTES. BRIEFLY. HE JUST KEEPS REPEATING OVER AND OVER. HE CAN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING. HIS DAD THEN REPLIES, I JUST WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT HE ISN’T DEAD TO EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF EVERYTHING. AT THE MOMENT. HE NEEDS HIS PARENTS RIGHT NOW. WE’RE TOLD THAT BOY IS STAYING WITH RELATIVES. THE FBI HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING ANNA’S DEATH, BUT AT THIS POINT, NO ONE HAS BEEN CHARGED. COVERING BREVARD COUNTY BOB HAZEN WESH TWO NEWS. A MAN IS IN CUSTODY AFTER A SHOOTING IN AN ORANGE COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD. DEPUTIES ARE SAYING THEY RESPONDED TO THE GUNFIRE NEAR MARK ROAD AND NORTH TANNER ROAD JUST BEFORE 330 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THEY FOUND A MAN IN HIS 30S WHO HAD BEEN HIT WITH GUNFIRE, BUT HE’S EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. DEPUTIES SAY THE SUSPECT RAN INTO SOME NEARBY WOODS, BUT WAS TRACKED DOWN AND ARRESTED. A CENTRAL FLORIDA MOTHER IS BEING ORDERED NOT TO BE IN CONTACT WITH HER CHILDREN, AND IT COMES AFTER SHE WAS ACCUSED OF KIDNAPING THEM JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND. SHE FACED A JUDGE MONDAY AFTERNOON, AN EDGEWATER POLICE SAY THIS NEW VIDEO SHOWS 34 YEAR OLD EMILY SAINT CLAIR TAKING HER TWO YOUNG KIDS, SEVEN AND FIVE YEARS OLD, OUT OF THEIR FATHER’S CAR. IT HAPPENED AT THE SUNOCO GAS STATION ON SOUTH RIDGEWOOD AVENUE SUNDAY NIGHT. THE FATHER JUST HAD WALKED INSIDE THE GAS STATION AND SAYS HE IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED SHE WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK OFF WITH THE KIDS. THAT SET OFF AN HOURS LONG SEARCH. INVESTIGATORS FOUND HER AND THE KIDS IN SEMINOLE COUNTY. I’M GOING TO APPOINT THE PUBLIC DEFENDER TO HANDLE YOUR CASE. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF PROBATION WARRANT THAT WAS SIGNED BY JUDGE RUDACILLE. I DO FIND PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD YOU. SHE WILL BE HELD AT THE JAIL ON NO BOND. OFFICIALS SAY THE KIDS WERE UNHARMED AND REUNITED WITH THEIR DAD. ALL RIGHT. TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS EVE, SO WE HAVE LESS THAN TWO DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS. AND KEEP IN MIND, PORCH PIRATES ARE ON THE HUNT FOR THOSE LAST MINUTE GIFT DELIVERIES. OCOEE POLICE POSTED THIS VIDEO, AND THEY SAY IT SHOWS A WOMAN WALKING UP TO A NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE LAST WEEK AND STEALING THE PACKAGES. A FEW DAYS LATER, OFFICERS CONFRONTED HER AND THEY GOT THE PACKAGES BACK. BACK THERE. WE’RE ASKING IF SHE’S GOING TO FACE ANY CHARGES NOW. AHEAD, AS YOU SEE IN THIS GRAPHIC, WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW HOMEOWNERS ARE USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO PROTECT THEIR HOUSES. DON’T MISS THAT. IT’S COMING UP HERE ON WESH 2 NEWS SUNRISE ON CW 18 THIS HOUR. IT IS 904 RIGHT NOW. AND HERE’S A LIVE LOOK FOR YOU OVER TOWARDS ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT THIS MORNING. IT’S A BUSY PLACE, NO DOUBT. HOLIDAY TRAVEL THOUGH IS STARTING TO SLOW DOWN FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THEY’RE EXPECTING TO SCREEN ALMOST 170,000 PEOPLE TODAY. THAT IS AROUND 7000 FEWER TRAVELERS THAN YESTERDAY. AND THERE ARE SOME TRICKS TO MAKING YOUR TRIP A BIT LESS BUMPY. TRAVEL EXPERTS RECOMMEND TSA PRECHECK. IT COSTS AROUND $85, AND IT’S GOOD FOR FIVE YEARS. RIGHT NOW, A SECOND PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY ALSO GETS $15 OFF. IF YOU ENROLL TOGETHER BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, EVEN IF THE LINE LOOKS LONG IN PRECHECK. IT MOVES SO MUCH FASTER BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE THINGS OUT OF YOUR BAG. YOU GO THROUGH A METAL DETECTOR INSTEAD OF THAT SCANNER. DIGITAL VERIFICATION PLATFORM CLEAR WILL ALSO GET YOU THROUGH SECURITY LINES FASTER. AND TSA HAS A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS FREE ASSISTANCE TO ALL ELIGIBLE PASSENGERS, CALLED TSA CARES ON THE ROADS TODAY. KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT AN HOUR REMAINING BEFORE WE GET INTO WHAT’S GOING TO BE A MORE DIFFICULT TIME TO DRIVE. NOW, THE EXPERTS SAY REALLY, TODAY THE WORST TIMES WILL BE BETWEEN 1 AND 7. THAT’S FROM TRIPLE A, THE BEST TIME TO GET OUT ON THE ROAD IF YOU NEED TO DO SO, IS AT 10 A.M., AND WE’RE LOOKING AT GAS PRICES TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE THAT. THIS MORNING, THE AVERAGE IN FLORIDA’S 283, AS YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN, SUMTER COUNTY SITS BELOW THAT AVERAGE AT 278 FOR OSCEOLA, ORANGE, SEMINOLE AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES. THEY’RE ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOVE AVERAGE. WHILE FLAGLER COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST PRICE FOR A GALLON OF REGULAR UNLEADED, THAT’S AT 293. AND WHETHER YOU’RE FLYING OR DRIVING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, OUR HURST DATA TEAM IS HELPING YOU GET THERE WITH LOTS OF REALLY COOL TOOLS. ALL RIGHT. SO LET’S START WITH THE AIRPORTS. WE TRACKED TSA AVERAGE WAIT TIMES AT THE 30 BUSIEST AIRPORTS IN THE US. THESE ARE KNOWN AS THE FAA’S CORE 30. AND MCO IS AMONG THEM. YEAH. SO HERE’S A BREAKDOWN SHOWING THAT THREE QUARTERS OF THE TIME, SECURITY LINES THERE ARE LESS THAN 15 MINUTES. SO THAT’S GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. MEANWHILE AT JFK YOU CAN EXPECT TO WAIT ABOUT 30 MINUTES NEARLY ALL THE TIME. THERE IS ALSO A MAP SHOWING THE BEST AND WORST DAYS TO FLY AT THIS CORE 30 FOR US HERE IN ORLANDO, IF YOU HOVER OVER THE PLANE ICON, IT SHOWS THE BEST DAY TO FLY SATURDAY. THE WORST IS MONDAY, AND WHILE WE’RE STAYING WITH AIRPORTS, OUR DATA TEAM ALSO HAS A LIVE TRACKER. THIS SHOWS US FLIGHT DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS. SO THIS FIRST CHART THAT WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HERE BREAKS IT DOWN BY DAY. YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE LIGHT COLORS, THOSE MARK THE DELAYS THERE. THE DARK RED WHICH IS A MUCH SMALLER NUMBER. THERE MARKS THE CANCELLATIONS. AND THEN THERE’S A SEPARATE LINE GRAPH THAT IS SHOWING THE CANCELLATIONS BY AIRLINE. SO YOU CAN SEE WHICH HAS THE MOST BETWEEN AMERICAN DELTA SOUTHWEST AND UNITED. NOW FORTUNATELY THE LINES HAVE BEEN REALLY LOW THE PAST WEEK. THAT’S GOOD NEWS. IF ANYBODY IS OUT DOING A LITTLE BIT OF DRIVING. AND WE ARE ALSO TRACKING THOSE GAS PRICES, WE SHOWED YOU WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. BUT WE’RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE NATION. THIS IS AN INTERACTIVE MAP WHERE YOU CAN HOVER OVER YOUR COUNTY. THE DARKER THE COLOR. JUST KNOW THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE GAS PRICES, WHICH MAKES SENSE AS YOU MOVE OUT WEST. OR THERE’S A TABLE AT THE SEARCH BAR. THIS IS AN EASY WAY TO FIND THE COUNTY THAT YOU WANT TO EITHER GAS UP IN, OR WHERE YOU’RE DRIVING. AND IF YOU ARE CURIOUS HOW THE CURRENT PRICES STACK UP TO YEARS PAST, WE ARE ALSO LAYING THAT OUT FOR YOU. WE’RE GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2010. ALL OF THESE TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW OVER ON WESH.COM. WE ARE DATA HEAVY. YES. AND WE’VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE DATA FOR THE FORECAST FOR ALL OF THE TRAVEL NOW FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA TO ACROSS THE NATION. AS WE GET OVER TO FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST ERIC BURRIS. YEAH. SO BASICALLY WHERE WE’RE AT NOW IS WHERE WE’RE GOING TO BE RIGHT THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WITH BRIGHT SUNSHINE AND COMFORTABLY COOL STARTS. NICE WARM AFTERNOONS. HERE’S A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE WEATHER STEM CAMERA IN ORLANDO. LOOK AT THAT. THE SUN SHINING. IT IS A CLEAR SKY. IT IS A GORGEOUS SETUP, WAKING UP TO TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 60S HERE IN ORLANDO, UPPER 50S IN MARION COUNTY. AND WE’VE BEEN HANGING IN THE 70S ALL MORNING LONG IN BREVARD. AND THE REALITY IS, BREVARD COUNTY, YOU’RE GOING TO BE IN THE 70S ALL DAY. THAT ONSHORE WIND HAS KEPT YOU MILD OVERNIGHT THROUGH THIS MORNING. SO BASICALLY WE’RE JUST PUSHING LITTLE BY LITTLE INTO THE MID 70S. BY NOON UPPER 70S, OUR DAYTIME HIGH. THAT SAID, THERE IS A BIG CHILL MOVING OUR DIRECTION. LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW THAT PLAYS IN AND CHANGES THE WEATHER FROM CHRISTMAS TO NEW YEAR. IT’S CENTRAL FLORIDA CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. ERIC SOMEONE A LUCKY SOMEONE COULD POSSIBLY MAYBE NOW TAKE HOME THE FOURTH LARGEST POWERBALL JACKPOT IN THE HISTORY OF POWERBALL. THAT’S TOMORROW NIGHT ON CHRISTMAS EVE. WHAT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT THAT WOULD BE. IT’S BECAUSE NO ONE MATCHED ALL SIX NUMBERS LAST NIGHT, SO IT PUSHED THAT TOTAL PRICE TO $1.7 BILLION. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CASH VALUE OF THAT $780 MILLION. HISTORICALLY, THE POWERBALL JACKPOT HAS ONLY BEEN WON ONCE ON CHRISTMAS EVE. AND EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO JACKPOT WINNER, WE DO KNOW ONE PERSON IN FLORIDA IS TAKING HOME A COOL MILLION DOLLARS. THAT WINNING TICKET WAS SOLD IN SUNRISE DOWN IN BROWARD COUNTY, SO NOT TOO SHABBY. NO. ALL RIGHT. THE OCALA POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PUTTING A FESTIVE TWIST ON THE TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC STOP. LOOK AT THIS. I’M ACTUALLY GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHRISTMAS GIFT. SO, ON BEHALF OF THE OCALA POLICE DEPARTMENT, THIS IS GOING TO BE $100. OH MY GOD, MA’AM. THANK YOU. YOU’RE WELCOME. GIVE ME A HUG. OKAY, INSTEAD OF WRITING A TICKET, OFFICERS, WE’RE GIVING THAT GIFT TO DRIVERS OF 100 BUCKS. IT’S CALLED OPERATION SECRET SANTA. OFFICERS EVEN VISITED STORES, SURPRISING PEOPLE DURING SOME CASUAL ENCOUNTERS. THE CASH WAS GIFTED TO 20 PEOPLE. AND THAT MONEY WAS DONATED TO OPD ANONYMOUSLY. THEIR LOVE TO SEE THAT OCALA POLICE. ALTHOUGH THOSE. IF ANYBODY WAS WEARING A HEART RATE MONITOR AS THEY WERE BEING PULLED OVER AND HANDED $100 CHECK THAT WOULD GO ALL OVER THE PLACE, RIGHT? REAL ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS. ROLLER COASTER. ALL RIGHT, WE KNOW THE KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, AND YOU MAY BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO KEEP THEM OCCUPIED. SO THE CITY OF CASSELBERRY HAS THE SOLUTION FOR YOU. IT’S HOSTING A WINTER CAMP AT THE CASSELBERRY AQUATIC CENTER. THE CAMP IS GOING TO FEATURE GAMES, CRAFTS, AND OTHER ON SITE EXPERIENCES. THIS IS OPEN TO CHILDREN AGES EIGHT THROUGH 12 AND COSTS $100 PER WEEK OR $25 A DAY. WE HAVE REGISTRATION INFORMATION ON WESH.COM. THE ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER IS GETTING READY TO DIG INTO PREHISTORIC SCIENCE WITH FOSSIL FEST. GUESTS OF ALL AGES ARE INVITED TO UNEARTH THE FASCINATING WORLD OF ANCIENT CREATURES. THE EVENT IS SET FOR THIS WEEKEND. IT’S GOING TO FEATURE INTERACTIVE FOSSIL DIGS, REAL PALEONTOLOGISTS AND MORE. FOSSIL FEST IS INCLUDED WITH GENERAL ADMISSION, AND IT’S FREE TO THOSE ORLAN
Florida man accused of plotting ‘racially motivated act of violence’
Updated: 4:18 PM EST Dec 23, 2025
A 20-year-old Sarasota man has been indicted on firearms and child sex abuse material charges after federal agents say he was “plotting a racially motivated act of violence.”>> Video above is top stories in Central FloridaLucas Alexander Temple is accused of possessing an unregistered firearm, a firearm with a removed serial number, and receipt of child sexual abuse material. A news release from the Department of Justice says during a November search warrant at Temple’s home, federal agents recovered a shotgun with sawed-off barrel that was not registered to Temple. “Federal law prohibits the possession of shotguns with barrels fewer than 18 inches in length without registration in National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record,” the news release says. “Agents also found evidence that Temple had been plotting a racially motivated act of violence, including pipe bombs, multiple firearms, ammunition, a pressure cooker, literature on how to manufacture explosives, and a written plan as to his intentions.”The DOJ said Temple also possessed a variety of Nazi and mass shooting propaganda materials.”As part of its investigation, federal agents learned that Temple had been communicating with other ideologically aligned individuals online about conducting violence against minorities and providing instructions on how to manufacture explosives,” the DOJ said. On at least two occasions, “Temple received images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct,” the DOJ said.
SARASOTA, Fla. —
A 20-year-old Sarasota man has been indicted on firearms and child sex abuse material charges after federal agents say he was “plotting a racially motivated act of violence.”
>> Video above is top stories in Central Florida
Lucas Alexander Temple is accused of possessing an unregistered firearm, a firearm with a removed serial number, and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
A news release from the Department of Justice says during a November search warrant at Temple’s home, federal agents recovered a shotgun with sawed-off barrel that was not registered to Temple.
“Federal law prohibits the possession of shotguns with barrels fewer than 18 inches in length without registration in National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record,” the news release says. “Agents also found evidence that Temple had been plotting a racially motivated act of violence, including pipe bombs, multiple firearms, ammunition, a pressure cooker, literature on how to manufacture explosives, and a written plan as to his intentions.”
The DOJ said Temple also possessed a variety of Nazi and mass shooting propaganda materials.
“As part of its investigation, federal agents learned that Temple had been communicating with other ideologically aligned individuals online about conducting violence against minorities and providing instructions on how to manufacture explosives,” the DOJ said.
On at least two occasions, “Temple received images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct,” the DOJ said.