I Am the Real Joker': James Holmes Copycat Threatens Washington, DC

When "The Dark Knight" director Chris Nolan created Heath Ledger's "Joker" character, it's obvious that he didn't mean to inspire a raft of deranged people to pick up weapons as part of a twisted project to imitate the behavior of a fictional mass-murdering clown. Yet that may be the trend that is emerging, following the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, which now appears to have inspired a good share of copycats. From Washington, DC's NBC news channel:

"We believe a significant threat has been averted," officials said in a press conference today about the search of Neil Edwin Prescott's home -- where police and ATF officers found numerous guns and ammunition.

Police from several jurisdictions searched the home in Crofton, Md., Thursday night after alleged threats referencing the "Joker" were made earlier in the week.

Law enforcement sources told News4 that Prescott made a more than one phone call Monday to a coworker, in which he made threats toward his employer -- a subcontractor for Pitney Bowes -- which was ready to fire him. Prescott was upset about prospect of losing his job and he told his coworker, "I'm gonna load my guns and blow everybody up," according to a search warrant.

Law enforcement sources tell News4's Pat Collins that Prescott made threats -- saying something to the effect of, "You don' t know who the real Joker is; I am the real Joker." When Pitney Bowes heard this alleged threat, they called authorities.

Even if Prescott had no intention of actually doing anything, his behavior and possessions indicated otherwise. Early reports indicated that he had 13 guns registered in his name, a number which dwarfed by the actual,  terrifying arsenal that police seized, which included over 20 weapons, as well as 40 steel boxes containing 8 different kinds of ammunition. Prescott was also picked up by police while wearing a shirt that read, "Guns don't kill people. I do."

Prescott has not been charged with anything, having not committed any crimes yet, but is being evaluated at a mental health facility in the DC area.