James von Brunn, the man accused of opening fire at the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C. last week, has now been accused of a new criminal offense, Miami criminal attorney John Musca has learned. Von Brunn allegedly parked a red car in front of the museum, got out with ammunition and at least one gun. He is accused of fatally shooting a security guard with a .22 caliber rifle. Police have recovered two guns and dozens of rounds of ammunition from the red Hyundai he drove to the museum and left double-parked outside its doors.
Now, von Brunn is accused of a sex crime: possession of child pornography. Investigators have been searching his home, computer, and his writings for more information regarding the shooting. Von Brunn is an outspoken white supremacist. He operated a website devoted to espousing his racist and anti-Semitic views.
Von Brunn was shot when two other security guards returned fire and he remains hospitalized due to his injuries. The security guard who was killed, Stephen Johns, was apparently opening the door for von Brunn to enter the museum when von Brunn shot him to death, says Miami criminal attorney John Musca.
The elderly von Brunn, who is 88, has gained national notoriety between this crime and his 1981 attempt to violently take over the Federal Reserve Board headquarters building. He served six and a half years in federal prison as a result. Prosecutors have said publicly that he is expected to recover and face trial. It is not clear, however, if von Brunn will face child pornography charges, nor did law enforcement officials release details regarding the content found on his computer. If convicted of possession of child pornography, von Brunn would likely have to register as a sex offender and spend time in prison, although prosecutors may not charge him if he is convicted for a separate crime, such as the murder of Johns.
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