Mass Shooting Threat Against LGBTQ People Made By FL Man: Feds

ORANGE COUNTY, FL — A Winter Park man is facing federal charges after authorities said he threatened a mass shooting of LGBTQ people at Florida State University.

Sean Michael Albert, 19, is charged with interstate communication of a threat to injure a person after authorities said he posted a picture of an AR-15-style rifle with the address of FSU, a date and a time on the social media platform Discord, according to court documents.

In the message posted on Dec. 13, Albert used a homophobic slur and said 100 people would die. "Cya there!" the message read, according to court documents.

The FBI in Orlando was alerted to the post three days later, according to the arrest affidavit.

Authorities said Discord provided the IP and email address information tied to the post, which was later traced to Albert.

FBI agents apprehended Albert at the Orlando International Airport on Jan. 1. During an interview, Albert admitted to posting the threat, according to court documents. However, he said he did not believe his post was illegal, according to the arrest affidavit, stating that the post was meant to be "ironic," "satirical," and "a joke."

According to the arrest affidavit, Albert was a student at Full Sail University. He told authorities he used a Florida State address for the threat because it would "get the most reaction from those on the Discord server," court documents said.

The arrest affidavit also detailed interviews with Albert's apartment manager, roommate and a security manager at Full Sail University. The interviews revealed "a history of violence and a pattern of concerning behavior" by Albert, according to the affidavit.

Authorities learned that in addition to making threats online, Albert was involved in online confrontations with classmates and peers, as well as direct confrontations with people outside his university, according to the affidavit.