Man Arrested After Posting Chilling Gun Video One Day Before Daytona 500
Thanks to our great law enforcement, the Daytona 500 went off without a hitch.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Department arrested a Daytona Beach man Saturday evening, one day before the Daytona 500.
Adrian Morales was taken into custody after posting a chilling video of him shooting an AR-15 into a lake. Morales can be heard saying "this is what's in store" in the video, and, according to the VSO, he has made threats to NASCAR executives in the past.
He was tracked down Saturday in the apartment complex directly across from Daytona International Speedway.
"Morales' proximity to the Speedway was concerning due to past grievances and aggressive messages he left for a NASCAR executive," the VSO said in a social media post. "The new threats in this video were directed at someone else, but also referenced grievances with the Sheriff's Office, DEA, and FBI."
These things always make you wonder, don't they?
Whoooooooooof. Good work by the Boys in Blue to find this guy, but it does make you wonder. Frankly – and sadly – you almost always have to wonder about these things nowadays.
Sure, there are almost always threats during major events like these. I'd imagine we don't even hear about most of them.
But, in today's world, they're always out there. Look at what happened in Pawtucket earlier this week. Sickening. I feel like every generation has, at one point, said, "We live in crazy times," and it's certainly true in 2026.
I wish it wasn't, but that's the reality.
Morales was found at the Icon One Daytona apartment complex across from the track, and detectives also recovered the AR-15 used in the above video, along with several rounds of ammunition from his vehicle, in the parking lot.
I've been to One Daytona a million times over the years. I lived right down the road from it for a while. I've covered 10 Daytona 500s now. It's a packed place, especially when NASCAR is in town. The NASCAR HQ building is also right next to it, with the Speedway across the street. It's not hard to envision a scenario where these things could turn south, rapidly.
Luckily, our great law enforcement was, once again, on top of it.
They never get enough credit. They will in these spaces.
Heroes!