A United States Postal Service (USPS) employee was arrested on Sunday in connection with threats made on social media to carry out a mass shooting at a Pride event in Lubbock, Texas, the FBI announced Monday.
Michael Thompson, a resident of Clovis, New Mexico, was taken into custody after authorities received an anonymous tip about the planned attack. According to the FBI, Thompson admitted to posting and then deleting the threats on social media and identified himself as a USPS employee.
Investigation and Arrest
FBI Director Kash Patel credited the swift apprehension to the actions of the FBI and its law enforcement partners, stating, "Our agents, intel teams, and state and local partners out of Texas acted decisively and stopped him before he could act."
During the investigation, authorities recovered four firearms from Thompson's residence. The FBI noted that Thompson is legally prohibited from owning firearms due to a previous felony domestic violence conviction.
Thompson faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and transmitting threatening interstate communications. He was expected to make his initial court appearance on Monday.
Pride Event Proceeds Without Incident
The LubbockPRIDE festival took place over the weekend without any reported incidents. Organizers shared on Facebook following the event, "Yesterday was filled with so much love, fun, and community, and we couldn’t have asked for a better celebration."
This incident follows a separate arrest in Brunswick, Georgia, earlier in June, where a man was charged with making terroristic threats after allegedly posting threats against attendees of a local LGBTQ+ Pride event.