Redmond Police Seize Guns After 'Joker' Social Media Post

REDMOND, WA — Redmond Police have confiscated six guns from a 23-year-old man after officers were alerted to several of his social media posts — including one referencing the film "Joker." According to Redmond PD, Seattle Police came across the posts while working a separate investigation. A spokesperson for Redmond PD said several photos show the man posing with handguns and rifles, but the most concerning one showed him holding two "AK-47 type" rifles with a caption reading "One ticket for Joker, please."

The weapons were seized under an Extreme Risk Protection Order -- or ERPO -- which a judge granted at the request of Redmond PD. The order allows law enforcement to take weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others. A judge will determine how long the weapons will remain confiscated, with one year being the maximum time. The man was neither arrested nor charged with a crime. In addition to the guns, police took several high capacity magazines.

In the protection order filing, investigators said photos posted online in September included the man posing with guns in wooded areas and pressing a handgun against his face. The petition also listed a history of Twitter posts making threatening comments about women in recent years, providing examples like "kill all women" and "prowling the Seattle street for women to assault" and asking a terrorist group to "execute every non-incel."

National concerns over potential violence led law enforcement agencies to boost patrols near screenings of "Joker" over the weekend and spurred some theaters to ban costumes. No serious incidents occurred.