An Ontario Teen Allegedly Threatened To Shoot People At An LGBTQ+ Event In West Palm Beach

A teenager was just arrested in Ontario after allegedly threatening to commit a mass shooting at a LGBTQ+ event in West Palm Beach.

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On Sunday, June 5, Miami Police Department got a report about a threat aimed at the Pride on the Block 2022 event in West Palm Beach, according to a press release shared on Facebook.

The threat was made on Omegle, a video chat platform that randomly connects users to each other to chat online.

According to police, the suspect allegedly made anti-LGBTQ+ comments, waved a gun on camera and said he was going to commit a mass shooting at the Pride event that day. He also allegedly claimed that he lived in Palm Beach County.

Miami police notified the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD), and on top of a criminal investigation being launched, more police (including SWAT officers) were going to attend the event. Ultimately it was the WPBPD's Strategic Intelligence Center that was able to find out where the suspect was.

"The international investigation involved collaboration with the NYPD New York Police Department, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police and FBI," the release reads.

When the arrest was made

Early in the morning of Monday, June 6, the 17-year-old was arrested in Canada and was charged with threats to commit a mass shooting.

Peel Regional Police confirmed to Global News that he was arrested in Mississauga after a joint investigation with WPBPD. Per CP24, the teenager is reportedly from Ontario.

Canadian police have also retrieved the alleged video and gun that was seen in the clip.

"Charges are pending from the West Palm Beach Police Department for Florida State Statute 836.10: Written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism," the release reads.

This isn't the first time in recent history that a mass shooting targeted the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month in Florida. On June 12, 2016, a 29-year-old gunman killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 others at Pulse, a LGBTQ+ nightclub in Orlando, in what was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at the time.

Narcity reached out to Peel Regional Police for comment but didn't immediately hear back before this article was published.

This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.