Melbourne man arrested for threatening to shoot up, bomb Orlando convention: Deputies
Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Office
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A Melbourne man has been arrested after he allegedly posted threats on social media saying he would shoot up a Megaplex convention later this year, deputies said.
On Jan 10, deputies said they received a call in reference to terroristic threats directed toward the Florida United Fury Fandom, Incorporated, its management, and the 5,000 people expected to attend its primary convention — Megaplex — in September.
A staff member was alerted by email of a threat made on Tumblr by someone with the username "sparklesdoggo." The user reportedly said they planned to bring an assault rifle and a pipe bomb to the Megaplex event that will be held at the Hyatt Regency at 9801 International Drive.
Deputies identified a person who they believe wrote the post, who later named 23-year-old Anthony Stewart as the person who may have authored the post due to an ongoing online dispute between her, Stewart, and several others. The woman said Stewart has done this in the past, arrest documents state.
When asked about the "ongoing dispute" Stewart told deputies this was a cyberstalking and harassment issue that has been going on for the past 10 months.
Stewart told deputies that the post did happen, but claimed there was no active threat or shooting that would happen, deputies said. He said he created the post on Tumblr and then sent it to a person he knew would report it.
He was arrested on charges of intimidation-written electronic threat of a mass shooting.