Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
A man who threatened to shoot up a Lubbock elementary school has been arrested and charged, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.
Stephen Patrick Furr, 29, was charged via criminal complaint with interstate threatening communications and arrested Monday afternoon. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch Wednesday morning.
“The foresight of a single tipster – coupled with the prompt action of law enforcement – may have saved dozens of young lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The adage holds true: If you see something, say something. You may help law enforcement avert a tragedy.”
“The defendant’s concerning social media posts were reported to the FBI, and the resulting law enforcement response ensured no one was harmed,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting the communities we serve, and we encourage the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious or threatening behavior to law enforcement.”
According to the complaint, on Feb. 2, the FBI received a tip about threats posted on BlueSky, a microblogging site.
“Thinking about going out and buying a gun,” the user posted. “When in Texas, shoot [expletive] [expletive] am I right? Good thing I live next to an elementary school.”
The posts escalated from musings about a possible future shooting to statements that the user had a gun and intended to carry out a school shooting:
“Will be fun to legally shoot up a school,” the user posted. “I can already smell the blood.”
“Anyone wanna sign my gun?” he added.
The user also posted images from the March 2019 shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, which killed 51 people and injured 89 more.
Agents identified the user of the account as Mr. Furr and visited him at his home in Lubbock on Feb. 3.
According to the complaint, Mr. Furr was “disheveled and unkempt.” He allegedly screamed incoherent profanities and stated that he would not talk to the agents until the President confirmed their identity.
Officers contacted two of Mr. Furr’s family members, who stated that Mr. Furr had also threatened them.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Furr is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency conducted the investigation with the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report potential threats to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.