Canada- Toronto (Mississauga) teen arrested for threatening to commit mass shooting at Florida Pride event, 5June 2022

[dotr]

June 7 2022

Mississauga teen accused of threatening to commit mass shooting at Florida Pride event

A 17-year-old from Ontario has been charged with allegedly making online threats toward an LGBTQ event in West Palm Beach, Florida.

torontosun.com

''A 17-year-old from Ontario has been charged with allegedly making online threats toward an LGBTQ event in West Palm Beach, Florida.''

The Miami Police Department received a report on Sunday, June 5 of someone on the video chat platform Omegle threatening to commit a mass shooting at Pride on the Block 2022 in West Palm Beach.

Police said the suspect was seen waving a gun in the video, making anti-LGBTQ comments, and claiming to live in Palm Beach County, where he said he was going to commit the mass shooting that day.

Miami Police Department notified the West Palm Beach Department and a criminal investigation was launched.''

''The WPBPD said in a news release that their officers collaborated with the FBI, New York Police Department, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police to determine the location of the suspect.''

 

[dotr]

Teen Arrested For Mass Shooting Threat At Florida Pride Event

"I think his intentions were to commit a terrorist act, a hate crime," West Palm Beach Deputy Chief Rick Morris said. "These people are not heroes that are doing the shooting. They're criminals. Some of them are terrorists."

www.ibtimes.com

''Cops said the teenager sent out threat messages on the social media platform Omegle, the New York Post reported. The teen, who claimed to be a Palm Beach County resident, is believed to be a Canadian citizen.

"The suspect, waving a gun in the video, said he lived in Palm Beach County, made anti-LGBTQ+ comments, and was going to commit a mass shooting on that day, at that event," the West Palm Beach Police Department wrote on Facebook.

The Miami Police Department came across the teenager's video threat Sunday morning and informed the West Palm Beach Police Department.

"In addition to augmenting the existing security plan for the event with additional uniformed, undercover and SWAT officers, the WPBPD's Strategic Intelligence Center (STIC) developed information that ultimately identified the location of the suspect," the FB post read. ''

"I think his intentions were to commit a terrorist act, a hate crime," Morris said at a press conference. "These people are not heroes that are doing the shooting. They're criminals. Some of them are terrorists."

"Yesterday's event was beautiful. People were very scared," Morris said about the LGBTQ event that took place Sunday. "The Pulse Nightclub shooting is still on everybody's mind, especially in our gay community. We want the LGBTQ community to know we stand behind them. Every event they have, we will protect them from hate and ignorance."

"We will continue to work with West Palm Beach P.D. and PBSO to provide safe and inclusive events for the entire LGBTQ community here in Palm Beach County," said Julia Murphy, the chief development officer for the Compass LGBTQ Community Center.''

Representative image Photo: Credit: Pixabay / naeimasgary

Ontario teen charged over alleged mass shooting threat at Florida Pride event | Globalnews.ca

The teenager was arrested in Canada in the early hours of Monday, June 6, and the video, as well as the firearm seen in the video, were recovered at the time of the arrest.

globalnews.ca

''The Miami Police Department received a report on Sunday, June 5 of someone on the video chat platform Omegle threatening to commit a mass shooting at Pride on the Block 2022 in West Palm Beach.

Police said the suspect was seen waving a gun in the video, making anti-LGBTQ comments, and claiming to live in Palm Beach County, where he said he was going to commit the mass shooting that day.

Miami Police Department notified the West Palm Beach Department and a criminal investigation was launched''.