Seemingly inspired by the tragic Perry school shooting, a man was arrested Thursday for allegedly threatening to "shoot up" another nearby school in Iowa. 18-year-old Lakeeve Arlley Fort was charged with threat of terrorism, a Class D felony.
West Des Moines Police Department says that since the Perry school shooting, they've received reports of comments circulating in-person and online "in support" of the LGBTQ shooter Dylan Butler. pic.twitter.com/eaDFw56in3
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) January 5, 2024
According to court documents reviewed by local TV station KGAN, Fort posted to a private Snapchat group: "Should I shoot up the school??" The message reportedly included "a thumbs up or down." Although the threat was allegedly sent a year ago, Fort is accused of reposting it as a Snapchat memory approximately six hours after a sixth-grade student was shot dead and five surviving victims, including an administrator, were gunned down at Perry High School, about 40 minutes from Fort's location.
Social media platforms like Snapchat and Facebook allow users to resurface years-old posts on the anniversary of the postings. Police allege that Fort first posted the year-old Snapchat post on Jan. 4, 2023, before resharing it Thursday in the wake of the mass murder. A few of the Snapchat members belonging to the group allegedly were alarmed and told Fort to delete the threat.
In conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), West Des Moines detectives initiated an investigation upon receiving information about social media comments made by an individual threatening violence against one of the area's schools. Fort is currently a student attending Dowling Catholic High School within the Diocese of Des Moines, per WeAreIowa.com.
Fort was arrested by West Des Moines police officers Thursday evening around 6:45 p.m. CT and booked into Polk County Jail on a $10,000 bond, NBC affiliate WHO 13 reported. A preliminary hearing in the Fort case has been scheduled for Jan. 12.
West Des Moines Police Department issued a press release on Friday notifying the community of Fort's arrest. In the announcement, the department said that since the school shooting rampage in Perry, there have been "reports of comments" circulating in-person and online "in support of the suspect," 17-year-old gunman Dylan Butler, whose social media footprint has been tied to LGBTQ-themed content involving gay Pride, "genderfluid" and non-binary identities, and transgender "transitioning."
BREAKING
— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) January 4, 2024
A Reddit account believed to belong to the to Perry High School shooter has been identified, revealing he interacted with trans and "femboy" boards.
On r/Trans, Dylan Butler appeared to respond to a post on transitioning by expressing his concerns about "looking ugly." pic.twitter.com/IVc9SKtmWi
Butler is believed to have acted alone. The shooter was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. During a search of the school, authorities additionally located a "rudimentary" improvised explosive device (IED), which was rendered "safe" by the state fire marshall and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). According to officials, the shooter died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Longtime principal Dan Marburger is among those injured. Of the survivors, four are in stable condition and one remains hospitalized in critical but not life-threatening condition.