Florida authorities arrested a Black man who they say was making serious online threats to President Donald J. Trump. However, their concern was whether he was prepared to take those threats off screen and into the streets.
West Palm Beach Chief Tony Araujo said authorities arrested 46-year-old Shannon Depararro Atkins, a former bakery owner, over the weekend following a traffic stop. They weren’t so worried about a broken tail light, speeding or drug-laced baked goods. The chief said the cops were on the hunt for Atkins following the discovery of his “disturbing, violent rhetoric” targeting President 47, per ABC News.
His Facebook page was alleged to be riddled with anti-Trump memes - one mocking the assassination attempt during Trump’s campaign rally in July 2024 and another reading, “Bullets, please. Jesus save America,” while referencing the assassinations of JFK and Abraham Lincoln, per USA TODAY.
“I’ve been banned from X because I said I hope and pray someone kills him we haven’t had an assassination in years,” read another post, per authorities.
Chief Araujo said Atkins was arrested near his home in West Palm Beach which isn’t far from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Authorities said he was not found with a weapon but did not specify whether Atkins owned one at all. However, they did locate three bags of cocaine in his possession, per WPTV.
The chief said upon his arrest, Atkins argued he was only joking in his posts. Friends also defended him to local reporters insisting the posts were merely a jest.
“He is a jokester. He likes to make people laugh. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, and it hurt a lot to see him behind bars like that,” said Rashelle Young, Atkins’ friend, via WPTV.
However, authorities saw the posts as no comedic relief and charged him with one count of written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism and felony drug possession charges, per online records.
Chief Araujo said Secret Service was notified of the case and the agency will determine if they will also charge Atkins federal charges, per USA TODAY.