By Alexander Fern / News Director

A Zimmerman man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Tuesday for attempting to steal guns
from a pawn shop, then attempting to kill bystanders who saw him run from the scene.

20-year-old Manuel Richard Buck was convicted of attempted theft, attempted burglary and attempted second-degree murder all stemming from one event in July of 2021.

Buck, who was 19 at the time, attempted to break in to the Zimmerman Trading Post early July 10, 2021. The alarms sounded, and Buck tried to flee.

He ran through a nearby yard, where witnesses saw him and heard the alarm sounding.
Two witnesses chased Buck, who turned around and began swinging a machete. Both
witnesses sustained multiple lacerations from the attack. But, they were able to fight off Buck and detain him until law enforcement arrived.

The following criminal investigation determined that Buck was planning to rob the pawn store of guns and use those guns to commit a mass shooting. The FBI and Sherburne County investigators found a surplus of ammunition and bomb-making materials that Buck had stashed in a Sherburne County park.
Investigators also learned of numerous instances going as far back as 2018 in which Buck researched
previous mass shootings and discussed how he was going to carry out his own mass shooting.