Arkansas Man Arrested Over Walmart Shooting Threat as 20-Year-Old Cited Hantavirus Lockdown Fears
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 18
Arkansas Man Arrested Over Walmart Shooting Threat as 20-Year-Old Cited Hantavirus Lockdown Fears
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 18
Aaron Bynum, 20, was arrested Friday in Marion County after authorities said he threatened to carry out a mass shooting at a local Walmart if the U.S. entered another hantavirus lockdown.
An online gamer reported the May 9 threat to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and provided an in-game recording; investigators then subpoenaed the game company, linked the account to Bynum and searched his home.
Marion County deputies seized Bynum’s computer and accessories, took him into custody without incident and booked him on first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications charges with bond set at $2,500.
The threat came amid concern over the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak, which WHO said had reached 11 cases and 3 deaths by May 13; a later Canadian case brought confirmed infections tied to the ship to 10.
Health officials still assess the global risk as low, and doctors say Andes virus—the strain tied to the ship—is rarely spread person to person and typically requires close, prolonged contact.
A low-risk virus prompted a violent threat over lockdown fears. How has the pandemic altered our perception of public health risks?
A gamer's threat led to an arrest. Where is the legal line between toxic online speech and a prosecutable crime?
Can new laws and AI stop online gaming threats from turning into real-world violence?