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FBI arrests Oklahoma City man on charge of making online threats against Casper, Wyo.Jan 16, 2013 (The Oklahoman - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- An Oklahoma City man was charged in federal court Tuesday with making online threats against Casper, Wyo., that spurred officials to lockdown schools and issue alerts to residents. Glenn Allen Kirkham, 34, was charged in the U.S. District Court's Western District of Oklahoma with transmitting a threat to injure a person in interstate or foreign commerce, according to federal court documents. The Casper Police Department was notified of an online threat made on the website 4chan.org about 7 a.m. Mountain time Monday by people in Canada, Virginia, Arizona, Washington, Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to the federal affidavit. According to the affidavit, the writer was listed as Anonymous and wrote "Watch the news in about 1-2 hours. Casper, Wyoming." The writer then listed weapons that would be used, including a .357-Magnum revolver, a .22-caliber derringer, several kitchen knives, an aluminum baseball bat and possibly a pickup, according to the affidavit. "I'm tired of history being written incorrectly, and then never being corrected, and those who know the truth being dismissed, having their characters assassinated in public, or even killed. That kid in CT used handguns, that's it. But everyone reported that he used shotguns and/or an AR. I won't even go into all the theories about 'parents' being actors and such," the writer wrote in the original threat. All Natrona County, Wyo., schools were placed on lockdown, affecting about 40 schools and about 11,500 students. Natrona County Emergency Management attempted to alert about 51,092 residents, with 29,347 actively notified. Businesses, malls and the courthouses were notified by the Casper police, according to the affidavit. About two hours later, the writer posted a second message: "I've had my fun and now I must leave. ... "I never said anything about a school or killing people, you all let your imaginations and assumptions run wild, and it fed your own morbid fascination with violence sprees. I live about 18 hours away from Wyoming, ... Have a nice day, thanks for filling my past 2+ hours with all kinds of lulz, hue hues, chuckles, and giggles." Authorities determined the Internet Protocol address originated from AT&T in Oklahoma City and traced it to AT&T customer Glenn Kirkham, according to the affidavit. An FBI background check showed Kirkham possesses an Oklahoma license to carry a concealed firearm. FBI agents went to Kirkham's apartment at 2705 W Interstate 240 Service Road about 2:50 p.m. Monday. When asked if he knew why the FBI was at his apartment, he said it was due to the posting he made earlier in the day on the Internet bulletin board 4chan, according to the affidavit. Kirkham told agents he "posted a vague falsehood" and "posted a work of artistic falsehood," according to the affidavit. He told agents all the 4chan posts are works of artistic falsehoods and anyone would be a fool to believe any posting, according to the affidavit. ___ (c)2013 The Oklahoman Visit The Oklahoman at www.newsok.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |