Skip to main content

Florida man arrested after threatening shooting at Walmart on Facebook

A 26-year-old Florida man was arrested Friday after investigators discovered a threatening message on Facebook that suggested he was planning a shooting at a Walmart store.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said that its agents arrested Richard D. Clayton of Winter Park, Florida, for written threats to kill or do bodily harm.

The arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the FDLE, FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Winter Park Police Department, according to a news release. The authorities launched their joint investigation on Tuesday after the suspect posted a threatening message to Facebook.

“3 more days of probation left then I get my AR-15 back. Don’t go to Walmart next week,” Clayton wrote on Aug. 6.

The online threat came only days after 31 people were killed in two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio last weekend. One of those shootings, which left 22 people dead, occurred at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 4.

Investigators said that Clayton appears to believe in white supremacist ideology and has a history of posting threatening messages to social media using fake accounts.

Orlando-based TV station News 6 reported that Clayton made his first court appearance on Saturday, where his bail was reduced from $25,000 to $15,000 on the condition that he stays at least 1,000 feet away from any Walmart.

16 best apps for buying and selling used stuff

Turn unwanted items into cash and buy used. When you're living paycheck to paycheck, you are likely feeling burned out and stressed out. And when budgets grow tight, there may seem like there's no financial relief in sight. Even with the best budgeting intentions, cutting back on daily or monthly expenses may not be enough to ease these financial burdens. In these situations, an extra boost may be the only way to get ahead.
Read Next Story