Florida teen threatens to 'shoot up a church' in comment section of Pulse shooting videos on YouTube: deputies
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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida teen has found himself behind bars after making threatening comments on YouTube saying he would "shoot up a church," according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office.
Seth Montes, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with making written threats to kill after the FBI notified the Volusia Sheriff's Office of the threats being made on several videos online.
In the comment section of news broadcast videos about the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting and 2022 mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Montes allegedly made several threats involving a mass shooting at a church.
"I'm going to shoot up a church next lol have fun seeing me on the news," Montes wrote, according to deputies.
Photo: Volusia Sheriff's Office
In other comments, Montes showed praise for the suspects in other mass shootings, including the private Christian school shooting in Nashville earlier this year, and the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.
"I'm going to follow his footsteps next week at my local church," Montes wrote, deputies said. The 18-year-old did not specifically name any church in his threats, deputies added.
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Photo: Volusia Sheriff's Office
Montes' comments were traced back to his home in Deltona. Deputies interviewed him, and he confessed to making the threats but said he was "trolling." After searching his home, detective did not find him in possession of any firearms. The only firearm in the house was kept in a locked gun safe and deputies will seek a risk protection order.
Montes is currently being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $5,000 bond.