A man questioned in connection with Twitter threats against two Atlanta gay bars has been cleared, police said Thursday. However, the investigation is ongoing.
The posts, which referred to Sunday's mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, were made under the username of @BrettTEdgerton.
However, “we believe somebody else made that post,” Atlanta police Maj. Paul Guerrucci said at a news conference. “That would lead us to believe the post is not credible.”
Guerrucci said that “some type of dispute” between two people led to the posts. “It seems to be more of a personal issue that led to this post,” he said.
The threats were made against TEN Atlanta and Blake’s on the Park, police spokeswoman Kim Jones said earlier this week. The account is no longer visible.
“TEN or Blake’s could be the next Orlando,” one Twitter post read. “You think I am the type to be the next ‘shooter’? Keep hating me then …
“You are all dead to me,” another post read.
Officials “saw the posts yesterday and reported them to our Homeland Security Unit,” Jones said Wednesday.
Guerrucci said at this point, the threats are a misdemeanor-level crime.
The police investigation into the Twitter posts was part of a response that started immediately after the attack at Pulse in Orlando, Channel 2 Action News reported. The effort involved businesses in Atlanta that cater to the gay community.
“We did immediate review of our locations,” Deputy Chief Erika Shields said. “We put people out immediately so they’d have eyes on the locations. We made contact with the business owners.”
About the Author
