A 46-year-old Florida man, Shannon Depararro Atkins, has been apprehended by authorities for allegedly making threats against President Donald Trump on social media. Atkins, a resident of Okeechobee, is facing charges for written threats to kill. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tipped off the West Palm Beach Police Department about the threats Atkins was making on Facebook against Trump in the days leading up to the inauguration.
The police department released a selection of Atkins’ alleged comments. One of the posts included a meme stating, “Jan 20 is the Day of Mourning for the USA.” Atkins reportedly responded with a comment saying, “Bullets please. Please Jesus! Save America.” Another post featured a meme with images of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and Trump, along with Martin Luther King Jr., with the caption “All stood up to Democrats. All were shot.” Atkins allegedly replied to this post, expressing his hope for someone to assassinate the president.
The New York Post discovered another alleged post by Atkins, which read, “America needs one good bullet to be saved.” Atkins was under surveillance by the police, who pulled him over near his home in his BMW at around 7:30 p.m. on a Friday. He was reportedly found in possession of cocaine. Atkins admitted to making the posts but claimed he was joking.
West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Araujo addressed the matter at a press conference, emphasizing the seriousness of such threats. He stated, “Nothing of that sort is a joke. In today’s climate, you really can’t say things like this. We have incident after incident, example after example of when these threats become real. And we take these very seriously.”
State voter records indicate that Atkins is a registered Democrat. A photo obtained by The Post shows Atkins wearing a Harris/Walz T-shirt. The West Palm Beach police are also petitioning the court for a mental health protection order for Atkins. The Secret Service has been alerted by local police and will decide whether to file federal charges against Atkins. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 24.