The FBI reports that agents have arrested Joshua Cole for allegedly threatening to commit a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ Pride parade. The quote, drawn from an FBI affidavit, explains why Cole’s threats were considered credible and not “mere idle or careless talk”.
The FBI reports that Cole allegedly wrote, “Fk their parade i say we lock and load and pay them back for taking out Charlie Kirk” and added, “[C]ome on bro lets go hunting fairies”.
AFFIDAVIT OF SPECIAL AGENT SAM C. VENUTI IN SUPPORT OF CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AND ARREST WARRANT I, Samuel C. Venuti, being duly sworn, do hereby state as follows: Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c)Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c), makes it a crime for anyone to send or transmit a threat to injure the person of another in interstate or foreign commerce. There are three elements of this offense:First: That the defendant knowingly sent or transmitted a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another, as charged; Second: the defendant transmitted the communication either with the purpose of issuing a true threat or with knowledge that the communication would be understood as a true threat, as defined in these instructions; and Third: That the communication was sent in interstate or foreign commerce.A “threat” is a serious statement expressing an intent to injure any person, which under the circumstances would cause apprehension in a reasonable person, as distinguished from mere idle or careless talk, exaggeration, or something said in a joking manner. The government must prove the defendant intended his or her communication to be a threat or had knowledge that the communication would be viewed as a threat. Postings on websites are sent in interstate or foreign commerce because transmitting messages by means of the Internet is tantamount to moving messages across state lines and thus constitutes transportation in interstate commerce. Cf. United States v.Runyan, 290 F.3d 223, 239 (5th Cir. 2002) (holding that use of Internet, in and of itself, Case 1:25-mj-00089-BU Document 1 Filed 09/19/25
Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint – Page 2 constitutes interstate transportation sufficient to satisfy the interstate commerce element of 18 U.S.C. § 2251); see United States v. Elonis, 897 F. Supp.2d 335, 343-44 (E.D. Pa.2012), overruled on other grounds by Elonis v. United States, 575 U.S. 723 (2015)(holding same in the context of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c)).AGENT BACKGROUND1. I am a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Department of Justice, and have been since April 2023. I received approximately 20 weeks of training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. During that time, I received training on various topics including evidence collection, interviewing, legal procedure and process, source management, investigative technology, firearms and tactical training, and defensive tactics. I am assigned to the Dallas Field Office, Abilene Resident Agency and have been since April 2023.2. I am familiar with the facts described in this Affidavit through my own personal knowledge, as well as through my discussion with other law enforcement officials and my understanding of other investigative activities conducted during this investigation. Because this affidavit is submitted for the limited purpose of demonstrating probable cause, I have not included every fact known to me in this affidavit.