Florida man arrested over ‘violent’ threats to kill Donald Trump after he was seemingly banned from X: ‘Bullets please’
A Florida man, 46, was arrested on January 24 over a series of disturbing social media posts referencing threats to kill Donald Trump.
Florida man Shannon Atkins has been arrested over violently threatening social media posts against newly elected US President Donald Trump, per The Sun US. The 46-year-old man’s alleged digital footprint maps out a prolonged streak of disturbing online posts, which he confesses even got him banned from X, formerly Twitter.
One of his Facebook updates posted the day before the Republican leader’s Inauguration says, “America needs one good bullet to be saved.”
Cocaine found on Florida man arrested over threats to kill Trump
Police said in a news release that Atkins was nabbed on Friday night. His eventual arrest came after a tip-off to the FBI threat centre. On January 24, the accused was tracked at around 7:30 p.m. while authorities were conducting a traffic stop.
At the time of the arrest, three bags of cocaine were found in his possession. As of Saturday, he was being held without bond at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Main Detention Centre. The Florida man’s residence is believed to be just a few miles away from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.
Donald Trump death threats on social media: Florida man says he was ‘joking’
Several other concerning social media posts allegedly shared by Shannon Atkins were presented at a news conference where West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Araujo said, “That gives you a flavour of some of the posts that this gentleman posted.”
The accused allegedly even admitted to having posted the social media updates, claiming he was “joking.” However, Araujo responded, “Folks, this is not a joke. Nothing of that sort is a joke. In today’s climate, you really can’t say things like this.”
The police chief continued, “We have incident after incident, example after example of when these threats become real. And we take these very seriously.”
Police dissects Shannon Atkins' alleged ‘violent rhetoric’
Digging into the “violent rhetoric” referenced in the alleged posts, the officials showed another post uncovered from January 19, saying, “I’ve been banned from X because I said I hope and pray someone kills him.” It added, “History is supposed to repeat itself. We haven’t had an assassination in years.”
Yet another post allegedly linked to Atkins’ account read, “Bullets please. Please Jesus! Save America.” The Florida man’s post alluded to a meme which described Trump’s Inauguration Day as a “day of mourning for USA.”
The account in question also re-posted a meme picturing the MAGA leader with his late first wife Ivana. The image says, “I hope they get back together soon,” again fatally referencing death threats targetting Donald Trump.
Also read | Could Barron Trump be the ‘Last President’? Forgotten 19th century books spark wild conspiracy theories
Potential charges against the presumed Dems-supporter
A previous Facebook photo showed him sporting a Harris Walz 2024 T-shirt. Registration records also state that Atkins has voted Democratic since 2008.
In light of Atkins’ Friday arrest, he faces a drug charge and one count of written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism – a second-degree felony. The Secret Service will finalise whether federal charges will be pursued against Atkins.
FBI + Secret Service on high alert since 2024 Trump assassination attempts
Social media posts of such vicious tone have especially become a red flag for the FBI and Secret Service since Trump nearly lost his life to two separate assassination attempts last year at the hands of Thomas Crooks in Pennsylvania and Ryan Routh at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida.
23-year-old Douglas Thrams from Goshen, Indiana, was also arrested over alleged threats to kill the president in a series of TikTok videos.
