The Secret Service is investigating after a Florida man was arrested in West Palm Beach and accused of calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump on Facebook.
Shannon de Palaaro Atkins, 46, of West Palm Beach, was arrested for allegedly threatening the life of the president, West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Araujo confirmed in a press conference Saturday.
According to jail records, Atkins is charged with felony menacing, drug possession and contraband in a contraband facility in the county jail.
Shannon Depara Atkins, 46, was arrested after allegedly threatening the life of President Donald Trump. (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)
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A tip was called to the FBI National Threat Operations Center, which reported late Sunday that Atkins was making violent threats against the president on Facebook.
Palm Beach detectives began working on the case Monday and found the “disturbing” posts, Araujo said.
Some of the posts were: “Lincoln, JFK, Reagan, Martin Luther King, Trump – unfortunately, one is still alive.” “A bullet, please. Jesus, save America”; and “I said, 'I hope and pray that someone kills him, because we haven't been assassinated in years.' , I was banned from X. ”
President Donald Trump speaks about the economy during an event at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The department obtained probable cause, began surveillance and arrested Atkins near his home Friday at 7:30 p.m.
According to Araujo, officers found three bags of cocaine in Atkins' pockets during his arrest.
While being interviewed, he admitted writing the Facebook post but said he was joking, authorities said.
Republican presidential candidate President Trump rushes backstage after being shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Guys, this is not a joke. Anything like that is not a joke,” Araujo said at a press conference.
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The Secret Service has been notified and is reviewing the case to determine whether there are any federal charges, the department said.
“The U.S. Secret Service does not comment on matters involving protective intelligence,” the agency wrote in an email to Fox News Digital on Saturday. “What we can tell you is that the Secret Service is investigating all threats to our guardians.”
Officials confirmed that the FBI is also involved in the investigation.
Araujo said that in today's climate, people can't even make jokes that pose a threat.
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“We have incident after incident, instance after instance, when these threats become reality – and we take these very seriously,” he said. “Did we avoid something?
Jail records show Atkins was issued a $5,000 bond on the drug charge, but bond was denied for the threat against Trump.
