A Facebook posting threatening to “erase the evil” from Dahlonega got the attention of the FBI and now the alleged author is in the Lumpkin County Jail.
The FBI says Michael Shane Fortner said in the Oct. 6 posting he was going to kill a family member and then drive to Dahlonega with a loaded handgun and “erase the evil from that town today.”
Authorities used cellphone location data and Flock cameras to track Fortner’s movements, which showed him traveling towards Lumpkin County, WSB-TV reported, and he was arrested shortly after he entered Lumpkin County. In addition, they were able to identify and contact the intended target.
One agent described Facebook as a “cesspool” of such stuff that authorities are constantly monitoring while trying to “figure what’s real and what’s not.”
And U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said federal prosecutors are taking a hard line on threats made online.
There was no indication what state Fortner traveled from.
This story was first reported on Court Watch