ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A man linked to social media posts threatening a Pulse-style attack against the LGBT community in South Florida was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol on an unrelated charge.
According to the FBI, 50-year-old Craig Jungwirth was arrested Saturday for a violating bond conditions in an unrelated pending misdemeanor case.
In a news release sent Sunday, FBI spokesman Michael D. Leverock said Jungwirth has been charged with transmitting threatening communications and will appear in federal court on Tuesday.
Jungwirth has been charged in connection with online threats made in his name, and police say Facebook posts on Aug. 30 mentioned the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando and made threats planned for Labor Day weekend in the Wilton Manors area.
His attorney, Ron Baum, did not respond for comment.
Florida police say he became a top priority after they say he posted threatening messages on Facebook aimed at gay residents in the community.
Jungwirth, who police say advertises himself as an event and party planner, is accused of writing, “My events are selling out cause you [gay slur] are total patsies. None of you deserve to live. If you losers thought the Pulse nightclub shooting was bad, wait till you see what I’m planning for Labor Day.”
Acquaintances say Jungwirth is openly gay.
An arrest warrant reveals he had been the subject of numerous harassment and stalking complaints.
Other posts said, “You can never catch a genius from MIT, and since you [gay slur] aren’t dying from AIDS anymore, I have a better solution to exterminate you losers.”
Another post said, “I’m gonna be killing you [gay slur] faster than cops kill [racial slur]. It’s time to clean up Wilton Manors from all you AIDS-infested losers.”
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