A gamer has been arrested by the FBI after allegedly threatening a mass shooting if a Hantavirus outbreak triggered a fresh nationwide lockdown
A gamer has been arrested after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting if the government enforced a fresh lockdown over the Hantavirus outbreak.
Aaron Keith Bynum, 20, from Oakland, Arkansas in the United States, was taken into custody following an investigation into online threats, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The gaming community was left shaken after Bynum is claimed to have lost his cool during an online session, sparking a major intervention by the FBI. The drama kicked off on May 9 when the FBI’s National Threats Operations Center received an electronic tip-off from a concerned player.
The tipster said that an individual in an online multiplayer game had threatened to unleash a bloodbath at a local Walmart.
The gamer reportedly claimed he would stage a mass shooting if the US faced another lockdown due to a rise in Hantavirus cases, according to local news outlet KY3.
Alongside the tip, the witness handed over the player’s username and a chilling in-game recording of the threats.
Feds scrambled to track down the suspect, issuing a subpoena to the game’s parent company just two days later. The digital paper trail is said to have led investigators straight to Bynum.
By May 13, the FBI Fayetteville Field Office had flagged the information to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division.
Armed with a search warrant and an arrest warrant, investigators descended upon Bynum’s property on May 14. The following day, tactical officers raided the home, seizing a computer and various hardware accessories.
Marion County Sheriff Gregg Alexander confirmed that Bynum was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Marion County Detention Centre.
He has since been hit with charges of first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications. Records show that Bynum’s bond has been set at $2,500.
The alleged threats come amid public anxiety over Hantavirus, a rare but severe respiratory disease. The virus is typically spread to humans through contact with infected rodents, specifically their urine, droppings, or saliva.
The disease is rarely transmitted from person to person, but carries a high mortality rate. Early symptoms mirror the flu, including fever, muscle aches and fatigue, but it can rapidly progress to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), causing severe breathing difficulties.
Public health officials in the US are monitoring this situation closely, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are currently no plans to introduce lockdown measures.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.