In Groton, Connecticut, a former Marine has been released from custody after facing serious allegations of threatening violence against school children. The veteran, Aaron Stanislav, was initially held on a hefty $1 million bond but is now receiving mental health care, his attorney confirmed.
Stanislav, 34, is currently free on a promise to appear in court. His legal representative, public defender Sean Kelly, revealed that Stanislav has been engaging with Veterans Affairs for treatment. This marks a positive shift from the “crisis moment” he experienced in January, which led to his arrest. Groton Town Police charged Stanislav on January 20 with first-degree threatening with intent to terrorize, a felony, following his posting of threatening videos on Twitch.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, one post featured Stanislav stating, “You know, I could go to an elementary school and plug every single (expletive) kid they had and then go to the next elementary school and all the elementary schools after that and get rid of all the kids I’d be a happy camper. Yeah, no, I would murder them all.”
Prior to these allegations, Stanislav was under probation monitoring due to a 2023 arrest for storing ammunition, a high-capacity magazine, and body armor at the Mystic Education Center near his residence.
Stanislav, who has a history of bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder, was part of a supervised court diversionary program aimed at potentially dismissing his charges. On January 7, the state police Intelligence Operations Unit was asked to conduct a “behavior health assessment” on Stanislav amid suspicions he was neglecting his medication and abusing alcohol.
An intelligence analyst informed Groton Town police of a threat Stanislav made on January 19, which involved violent statements about school children. At the time, authorities suspected Stanislav was residing at the vacant Mystic Education Center and had illegally powered a room there. He was eventually apprehended at the VFW in Stonington.
Court documents reveal that Stanislav was initially held on a $1 million bond and was later deemed incompetent to stand trial. He was subsequently placed under the care of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and later found competent.
Kelly expressed optimism about Stanislav’s current situation, highlighting the support and services now available to him. The goal is to have all charges dropped, and Stanislav is under a court order prohibiting him from possessing firearms or ammunition. Kelly noted there is no evidence Stanislav had access to guns during his arrests.
Stanislav’s case continues in New London Superior Court, with the next update scheduled for October 17.
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