Chester County man brought loaded pistol, bayonet, pepper spray to ‘No Kings’ protest, police say
Late Monday, police found several homemade explosive devices at Kevin Krebs' home in Malvern, according to law enforcement sources.
A Malvern man was arrested on firearms charges for bringing a loaded handgun and a bayonet to a “No Kings” protest in West Chester on Saturday, police said.
Kevin Krebs, 31, was charged with having a Sig Sauer P320 without a concealed-carry permit, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. Krebs was released after posting $250,000 bail.
His attorney, Michael Dicindio, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Efforts to reach Krebs were unsuccessful.
Late Monday, hours after prosecutors announced Krebs’ arrest, authorities served a search warrant on his home on Conestoga Road and recovered multiple homemade explosive devices, law enforcement sources said. Nearby roads were closed by police as county bomb squad officials went inside to investigate.
It remained unclear why Krebs attended the protest rally while allegedly armed in that way. Voting records show Krebs is a registered Democrat who most recently voted in the 2024 presidential election.
Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement that an investigation into the incident, aided by West Chester police and the FBI, remains ongoing. Krebs may face additional charges for the explosives recovered late Monday.
Saturday’s rally was held in solidarity with other, similar events throughout the country, including in Philadelphia, that protested President Donald Trump’s agenda, including mass deportations of people residing in the country illegally.
No other arrests were reported in West Chester in connection with the rally.
Other attendees of the protest, which took place along High Street in West Chester, notified nearby officers that a man was walking near the rally while carrying a gun, the affidavit said.
When the officers stopped Krebs and asked if he was armed, he “was hesitant to answer,” according to the affidavit. Police pressed him about the empty holster on his left hip, and Krebs later acknowledged that he had tucked the gun into his clothing.
While searching Krebs, investigators also found three additional loaded magazines for his handgun, six loaded assault rifle magazines, an M9 bayonet, pepper spray, a pocket knife, a ski mask and gloves, the affidavit said.
Police found his car a few blocks away, and recovered a rifle that matched the magazines he was carrying, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation.
Krebs is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on July 15.