A Florida man has been arrested for allegedly making violent threats on social media about assassinating President Donald Trump, police announced Saturday.
Shannon Atkins, 46, is accused of lodging threats against Trump on Facebook, West Palm Police Department Chief Tony Araujo told reporters during an afternoon press conference.
During the late hours of Jan. 19, Araujo said, the FBI received a tip from a man in Okeechobee, Florida, who reported Atkins reportedly wrote “disturbing posts’ about assassinating Trump on social media.
“They were violent rhetoric, political views and his opinion aimed at the president,” Araujo told reporters.
The next day, on Jan 20, a West Palm Beach detective found several posts from Atkins “that included the names Lincoln, JFK, Reagan and Trump.”
“Unfortunately one of them is still alive,” Araujo said the post read. “Bullets, please. Jesus save America.”
Another post reportedly read: “I’ve been banned from X because I said I hope and pray someone kills him we haven’t had an assassination in years.”
‘Folks, this is not a joke’
Just before 7 p.m. Friday, the chief said, police stopped Atkins in a white, 2013 BMW near his homes and found suspected cocaine in his pocket.
Araujo said he was arrested without incident and admitted to writing the Facebook Post but told detectives, “he was joking.”
“Folks, this is not a joke,” the chief emphasized at the press conference. “Nothing of that source is a joke.”
Police said they did not find a weapon during the arrest, the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network reported.
Officials did not say whether Atkins owns a gun.
The case, Araujo said, remained under investigation Saturday.
Florida man who threatened to kill President Trump jailed with no bond
Atkins faces 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, and felony drug possession charges, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office online records show.
He remained jailed without bond Saturday night.
It was not immediately known whether Atkins had obtained an attorney or when he is due in court.
According to the Palm Beach Daily News, Atkins owns a local bakery. According to Google, the bakery is permanently closed.
The Secret Service was notified of the case, Araujo said. The agency will determine whether the suspect faces federal charges.
