A 46-year-old Florida man, Shannon Depararro Atkins, is behind bars after allegedly posting online threats to President Donald Trump.
Atkins was taken into custody following a traffic stop near his home in West Palm Beach.
According to West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Araujo, Atkins posted “violent rhetoric” about Trump on Facebook, including a meme referencing an assassination attempt.
Atkins admitted to writing the posts but claimed he was “joking.”
“Folks, this is not a joke. Nothing of that sort is a joke,” Araujo said.
Chief Araujo emphasized that threats like these are taken seriously, especially in today’s climate:
“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.”
Atkins was also found with cocaine on him. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating to determine if federal charges will be filed.
