A former firefighter is accused of launching a terrifying armed mission across multiple states after prosecutors say he drove eight hours with guns, ammunition, and body armor to target his ex-girlfriend’s family following their breakup.
Brian J. Lanzim, 37, is now being held in jail after prosecutors described the alleged plot as violent, calculated, and incredibly dangerous.
During a dramatic court hearing Friday, prosecutors claimed Lanzim drove from Bangor, Maine, to South Toms River, New Jersey, on April 29 after learning his ex-girlfriend had filed a temporary restraining order against him.
“He was ready for war,” Assistant Prosecutor Mara Brater told the court, according to reports.
Authorities allege Lanzim arrived armed with multiple firearms, a bulletproof vest, and 15 large-capacity ammunition magazines stored in his vehicle.
Prosecutors believe his alleged goal was to kill or seriously injure members of his ex-girlfriend’s family in an effort to gain custody of the couple’s two children.
“His goal was not simply to hurt the victims, but his children’s mother’s family so he could obtain full custody of his children,” Brater reportedly told the judge.
According to investigators, Lanzim arrived at the family’s home shortly after 9:40 p.m., but the intended victims had already fled and contacted police before he got there.
What happened next quickly turned into a chaotic armed confrontation.
Authorities say Lanzim drove his vehicle toward responding officers and refused commands to stop and drop his weapon. Officers then opened fire, striking him in the hand and pelvis.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital before later being transferred to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains locked up pending trial.
The court hearing revealed a series of chilling alleged threats prosecutors say Lanzim made before arriving at the home.
“If your father is there I’m going to take him out,” one alleged message reportedly read. Prosecutors also claimed he threatened to leave the man “pulseless in the driveway.”
Another alleged threat referenced the couple’s children, with Lanzim reportedly saying, “If I can’t have you no one can,” and “If you stand between me and my kids I’m going to do what I need to do.”
Lanzim’s defense attorney argued the former firefighter was suffering a severe mental health crisis tied to bipolar disorder and the breakup.
His lawyer claimed the situation may have been an attempted “suicide by cop,” arguing Lanzim wore body armor in hopes officers would be forced to shoot him in the head.
During the hearing, the defense also read emotional statements allegedly made by Lanzim after the confrontation.
“I f***ing lost her, man. Tell her and the boys I love them,” the attorney quoted.
Before the incident, Lanzim reportedly spent nearly two decades working as a firefighter and EMT in Ocean County. He later moved to Maine in 2025 for a job with Brinks, but prosecutors said he lost the position earlier this year and had allegedly been spiraling afterward.
Lanzim now faces a long list of charges, including attempted murder, home invasion burglary, terroristic threats, weapons offenses, unlawful use of body armor, and dozens of counts tied to large-capacity ammunition magazines.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 18.