Florida man arrested for allegedly calling for Trump assassination on Fb; Secret Service investigating

The Secret Service is investigating after a Florida man was arrested in West Palm Seaside and charged with calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump on Fb.

West Palm Seaside native Shannon Depararro Atkins, 46, was arrested after allegedly threatening the lifetime of the president, West Palm Seaside Police Chief Tony Araujo confirmed throughout a press convention Saturday.

Atkins is charged with felony intimidation, drug possession and smuggling contraband in a county detention facility, in accordance with jail information. 

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A tip was referred to as in to the FBI Nationwide Menace Operations Heart late Sunday, reporting Atkins was making violent threats towards the president on Fb.

A Palm Seaside detective started working the case on Monday, and located “disturbing” posts, in accordance with Araujo.

A few of the posts had been: “Lincoln, JFK, Reagan, Martin Luther King and Trump – sadly, one continues to be alive”; “Bullets, please. Jesus, save America”; and “I have been banned from X as a result of I mentioned ‘I hope and pray somebody kills him. We’ve not had an assassination in years.'”

The division obtained possible trigger and commenced surveillance, arresting Atkins close to one among his houses at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Officers discovered three baggage of cocaine in Atkins’ pocket on the time of the arrest, in accordance with Araujo. 

Whereas being interviewed, he admitted to writing the Fb posts, however mentioned he was joking, authorities mentioned.

“People, this isn’t a joke. Nothing of that kind is a joke,” Araujo mentioned through the press convention.

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The Secret Service was notified and is reviewing the case to find out if there will probably be federal fees, the division mentioned.

“The U.S. Secret Service doesn’t touch upon issues involving protecting intelligence,” the company wrote in an e-mail to Fox Information Digital on Saturday. “What we will say, is that the Secret Service investigates all threats towards our protectees.”

Authorities confirmed the FBI was additionally concerned within the investigation.

Araujo mentioned, in as we speak’s local weather, individuals can not make threats, even jokingly.

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“We’ve got incident after incident, instance after instance, of when these threats turn into actual – and we take these very significantly,” he mentioned. “Did we avert one thing – you by no means know. I do know that we developed possible trigger, we arrested Mr. Atkins, and he’ll need to reply the costs.”

Atkins was issued a $5,000 bond for the drug fees, however bond was denied for the threats towards Trump, in accordance with jail information.