Canadian Teen Threatened Shooting At FL LGBTQ Pride Event: Police

WEST PALM BEACH, FL — A Canadian teenager was arrested after threatening a mass capturing at Pride on the Block in West Palm Beach, which came about Sunday.

The annual South Florida LGBTQ delight occasion was initially set to occur Saturday, but it surely was rescheduled due to Potential Tropical Storm 1, which briefly fashioned into Tropical Storm Alex after drenching South Florida.

The 17-year-old was taken into custody in Canada early Monday morning for making the threats. Canadian authorities have charged him with threats to commit a mass capturing, in response to a information launch from West Palm Beach police.

Charges are pending from the West Palm Beach Police Department for making written or digital threats to kill, do bodily harm, or conduct a mass capturing or an act of terrorism.

The Miami Police Department advised West Palm Beach police concerning the on-line risk after receiving a report of the suspect sharing a video Sunday on the platform Omegle.

In the video, the teenager waved a gun, made anti-LGBTQ+ feedback, and mentioned he lived in Palm Beach County and deliberate to commit a mass capturing on the Pride on the Block occasion that day, police mentioned.

The WPBPD’s Strategic Intelligence Center developed info that in the end recognized the situation of the suspect. The New York Police Department, Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police and FBI participated within the worldwide, multiagency investigation.

When the suspect was taken into custody, the video and the gun seen within the video have been recovered by Canadian police.

In response to the risk, further uniformed, undercover and SWAT officers have been at Pride on the Block.

One of the occasion’s organizers, Transpire Help, addressed the risk in a social media submit Sunday afternoon, noting that “safety and security (was the group’s) primary concern.”

“Due to the nature of our current environment, with overwhelming attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, there will be an increased uniformed police presence throughout today’s festivities,” the group wrote on Facebook. “We understand this can be triggering for our population and felt we should inform the public with our decision to move forward with additional police presence in full cooperation with the city and West Palm Beach Police Department.”