A Florida man, 46-year-old Shannon Depararro Atkins, was arrested on January 24 for allegedly making violent threats against President Donald Trump on social media. The arrest followed an investigation that began after the FBI received a tip about Atkins’ threatening posts. According to the West Palm Beach Police, the tip came from a man who reported Atkins’ violent remarks made on Facebook.
The investigation revealed that Atkins made two disturbing posts. The first was a re-post of a message reading, “Jan 20th is the Day of Mourning for USA,” which Atkins captioned with, “Bullets please. Please Jesus! Save America.” The second post expressed a more direct threat, stating, “I’ve been banned from ‘X’, because I said I hope and pray someone kills him. History is supposed to repeat itself. We haven’t had an assassination in years.”
Atkins allegedly admitted to posting these messages during police questioning. As a result, he was arrested and charged with making written or electronic threats to kill, commit bodily injury, conduct a mass shooting, or carry out an act of terrorism. Additionally, he was charged with possession of cocaine.
The police launched the investigation on January 20, following the FBI’s tip, and confirmed Atkins’ arrest on January 24. The charges against Atkins highlight the seriousness of making threats of violence, particularly against public figures, as such actions are taken very seriously by law enforcement agencies.
Atkins is now facing severe legal consequences for his actions, and the investigation is ongoing. The case serves as a reminder of the increasing scrutiny placed on social media posts, especially those that threaten violence or incite harm.
