Bomb-maker talked of witchcraft, plot to attack uncle’s home and churches: cops
A man charged in a plot to potentially bomb North Texas churches also planned to set fire to and shoot up a relative’s home and flee the country, White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook said Friday.
Tino Napoleon Ross, 33, was arrested Thursday in Wichita Falls after his release from a mental health facility, police said.
Ross was initially detained by police in November 2024 after a neighbor called to report a suspicious van in the 9200 block of Jason Lane, Cook said. Ross told police at that time that he was “having spiritual issues” and that he believed witchcraft existed, according to body-camera video and arrest warrant affidavits released by police on Friday.
While speaking to Ross, a White Settlement officer noticed a handgun sitting in Ross’ lap and called for backup, Cook said. Officers pulled Ross out of his van after he did not comply with repeated commands to get out, according to the affidavits.
Officers saw a rifle in the front passenger seat of the van and found an AR-15-style pistol in the center console area, according to the warrants. Officers also saw a device with an exposed fuse in the van, which Ross later identified as a bomb made of black powder and BB ammunition.
A search of the van revealed two more of the improvised explosive devices made from plastic bottles, investigators wrote in the court documents. Ross also had body armor and ammo for his guns inside the van, police said.
Ross told police at the scene that he was looking for the home of his uncle, which he planned to set on fire before shooting into the house, according to the affidavits. Ross is an Oklahoma resident who traveled to North Texas to commit the crime, Cook said.
Ross also talked about his anger and frustration with places of worship that he felt had not helped him with his spiritual problems, police said.
A search warrant executed by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms at Ross’ Oklahoma residence resulted in the seizure of items consistent with the making of the explosives, Cook said. Police believe that Ross assembled the devices in his apartment.
On his cell phone, Ross had researched places of worship in North Texas as possible targets and potentially planned to flee the country for China, Cook said. Family members told police that Ross had access to a family inheritance and could be a flight risk, according to the warrant.
Ross was found mentally deficient by a court in Oklahoma in 2016 and was not legally allowed to possess firearms, authorities said. He currently is charged in Texas state court with possession of prohibited weapons, unlawfully carrying weapons, and resisting arrest.
Both Cook and White Settlement City Manager Jeff James credit the resident who made the initial 911 call with potentially saving lives, they said.
“I told her, had you not called, we likely would have been responding to a house fire or possibly a homicide,” Cook said.
Ross will be transferred to the Tarrant County Jail, and the ATF is investigating to determine possible federal charges, Cook said. It’s unclear whether Ross has retained a defense attorney.
This story was originally published May 23, 2025 at 2:59 PM.
