A Marion County man has been arrested for threatening a mass shooting at a Walmart store if the United States is locked down again for Hantavirus. Twenty-year-old Aaron Keith Bynum of Oakland was arrested Friday afternoon after a nearly week long investigation by multiple agencies.
According to Marion County Sheriff Gregg Alexander, last Saturday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Threats Operations Center (NTOC) received a tip an individual in an on-line multi-player game had threatened a mass shooting at his local Walmart store if the country were locked down again due to the Hantavirus. The individual provided the player’s username along with an in-game recording of the threats.
On Monday, a subpoena was issued to the parent company of the game which identified Bynum as the owner of the account. On Wednesday, the FBI Fayetteville Field Office subsequently contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Friday, investigators from the sheriff’s office served a search warrant at Bynum’s residence and while processing the scene, seized a computer and computer accessories. Bynum was taken into custody without incident.
Bynum is facing a felony charge of first degree terroristic threatening and a misdemeanor charge of harassing communications. He is free after posting $2,500 bond.
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