BOSTON - Police say two men from Iowa who made online threats against Pokemon competitors - referring to the Boston Marathon bombings and the Columbine High School massacre - were stopped as they tried to register for the World Pokemon Championships in Boston.

Eighteen-year-old Kevin Norton, of Ames, and 27-year-old James Stumbo, of Boone, were ordered held without bail on gun charges Monday pending a Sept. 1 hearing.

Boston police Commissioner William Evans said the men made threatening statements in a closed online Pokemon group on Facebook before driving 25 hours to Boston on Thursday for the championships. Both were experienced players invited to attend.

The post reportedly included someone wishing them good luck, and Norton responding: "With killing the competition?"

The moderator of the Pokemon group notified security at the convention center where the competition was held over the weekend.

Officers found a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15 rifle and several hundred rounds of ammunition in their car.