Man Threatened Mass Shooting at Walmart if Hantavirus Outbreak Led to Lockdown, Sheriff Says
Investigators say a tip led to charges after the suspect allegedly threatened a Walmart shooting in an online multiplayer game.
- The Marion County Sheriff's Office arrested Aaron Keith Bynum, 20, on charges of first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications following an investigation into online threats.
- A tip May 9 to the FBI's National Threats Operations Center alerted authorities to a player threatening a Walmart mass shooting if the United States locked down again due to hantavirus concerns.
- Following submission of in-game recordings by a tipster, a subpoena issued to the game's parent company two days later identified Bynum as the account owner.
- Investigators served a search warrant at Bynum's Oakland, Arkansas, home on Friday, seizing a computer and accessories during the search.
- Bynum was transported to the Marion County Detention Center for booking, with his bond set at $2,500.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Arkansas man threatened to shoot up Walmart if U.S. locked down over hantavirus
An Arkansas man has been arrested after he allegedly threatened during an online video game to carry out a mass shooting at his local Walmart if another U.S. lockdown were ordered because of hantavirus, according to officials. Aaron Keith Bynum, 20, of Oakland, Arkansas, was arrested Friday on charges of first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications, according to Sheriff Gregg Alexander of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. …
Marion County Sheriff's Office confirmed that he was arrested on Friday and charged with terrorist threat in the first degree and harassing communications.
FBI Arrests Arkansas Man Accused of Walmart Mass Shooting Threat in Gaming Chat Over Hantavirus Scenario
A 20-year-old Arkansas man has been arrested following a coordinated federal and local investigation into alleged online threats made inside a multiplayer gaming chat, which authorities say referenced a hypothetical mass casualty scenario at a Walmart during a nationwide lockdown tied to a hantavirus outbreak. The suspect, identified as Aaron Keith Bynum, was taken into...
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