Florida authorities arrested a Black man who they are saying was making severe on-line threats to President Donald J. Trump. Nonetheless, their concern was whether or not he was ready to take these threats off display screen and into the streets.
West Palm Seashore Chief Tony Araujo mentioned authorities arrested 46-year-old Shannon Depararro Atkins, a former bakery proprietor, over the weekend following a visitors cease. They weren’t so anxious a few damaged tail mild, dashing or drug-laced baked items. The chief mentioned the cops have been on the hunt for Atkins following the invention of his “disturbing, violent rhetoric” concentrating on President 47, per ABC Information.
His Fb web page was alleged to be riddled with anti-Trump memes – one mocking the assassination try throughout Trump’s marketing campaign rally in July 2024 and one other studying, “Bullets, please. Jesus save America,” whereas referencing the assassinations of JFK and Abraham Lincoln, per USA TODAY.
“I’ve been banned from X as a result of I mentioned I hope and pray somebody kills him we haven’t had an assassination in years,” learn one other submit, per authorities.
Chief Araujo mentioned Atkins was arrested close to his house in West Palm Seashore which isn’t removed from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Authorities mentioned he was not discovered with a weapon however didn’t specify whether or not Atkins owned one in any respect. Nonetheless, they did find three luggage of cocaine in his possession, per WPTV.
The chief mentioned upon his arrest, Atkins argued he was solely joking in his posts. Mates additionally defended him to native reporters insisting the posts have been merely a jest.
“He’s a jokester. He likes to make folks snort. He wouldn’t harm a fly, and it harm rather a lot to see him behind bars like that,” mentioned Rashelle Younger, Atkins’ pal, through WPTV.
Nonetheless, authorities noticed the posts as no comedic aid and charged him with one depend of written or digital threats to kill, do bodily damage, or conduct a mass capturing or an act of terrorism and felony drug possession expenses, per on-line data.
Chief Araujo mentioned Secret Service was notified of the case and the company will decide in the event that they can even cost Atkins federal expenses, per USA TODAY.