Mass Shooting Threats At Capitol Lead To Arrest Of Former Officer

HAINES CITY, FL — A former police officer was arrested in Haines City Tuesday for making threatening remarks online about shooting people at the U.S. Capitol, Haines City Police said.

Shannon Badgett, 53, is charged with communicating a written threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, authorities said.

Investigators said Badgett made the threats via Facebook. One of the posts said, "Our courts are unable to articulate their choice by refusing to hear any evidence regarding voter fraud."

Another post the suspect published said he was going to a "target rich environment" in D.C. if President Donald Trump did not declare martial law. "Pew. Pew. Pew." imitating the sound of gunshots was added to the post.

Authorities said Badgett wrote that a lot of good people were going to die if "Roberts" did not resign. Police believe this is a reference to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Badgett claimed to be building an anti-tank rifle and sub-machine guns without applying for a permit, detectives said. He reportedly said in his social media post that the federal government can't tell him what to do.

According to police, Badgett is a former police officer in Ohio. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated him on Monday after he allegedly sent emails to a circuit judge in Nevada. Badgett denied sending the emails, officers said. Family members told authorities that Badgett has been diagnosed with mental health disorders.

Detectives didn't find guns in Badgett's home. The suspect admitted to writing the posts, but insisted he had no intentions of harming anyone. He said the posts were a way of expressing his frustration with voter fraud and that he was free to post whatever he liked, law enforcement officials said.

Badgett was taken to the Polk County Jail with a Baker Act form. A risk protection order was served on Badgett to restrict his access to guns and ammunition.

"Given the high political tensions of late, these threats simply could not be ignored," Chief Jim Elensky said. "Our detectives acted swiftly to ensure that these posts did not escalate into actions here or anywhere else. For the safety of everyone around him, he will be evaluated mentally to ensure he has access to the help he needs."