Man arrested for online threats to Trump
A Florida man was arrested for allegedly making online threats to President Donald Trump, according to police.
Shannon Depararro Atkins, 46, was taken into custody on Friday following a traffic stop near his home in West Palm Beach, a short distance from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
Atkins had allegedly posted "violent rhetoric" about Trump on his Facebook account, West Palm Beach Police Department Chief Tony Araujo said during a press conference on Saturday.
At least one of the posts, which Araujo showed reporters, consisted of a meme relating to the assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024.
Police said Atkins admitted to writing the posts but said he had just been "joking."
"Folks, this is not a joke. Nothing of that sort is a joke," Araujo said.
Police said they became aware of the posts after another man, from Okeechobee, Florida, sent in a tip to the FBI.
Atkins was taken into custody without incident Friday night. He was found with cocaine on him, according to police.
It was not immediately clear if Atkins has retained an attorney. ABC News has reached out to him for comment.
Araujo said the U.S. Secret Service was notified of the arrest and is looking into it to determine if federal charges should be filed.
"In today's climate, you really can't say things like this," Araujo said. "We have incident after incident, example after example, of when these threats become real, and we take these very seriously."
