Would-be school shooter arrested in North Carolina, FBI says

The FBI worked with local North Carolina law enforcement this week to arrest a man allegedly planning to commit a mass shooting at an unspecified preschool that primarily enrolled black children. Officials arrested Zachary Charles Newell on Monday after the suspect posted online threats espousing violence and hatred, according to the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office. The 25-year-old was charged with communicating a threat of mass violence on educational property and released on a $30,000 bond. After his release, the FBI rearrested him on federal charges to ensure he’s detained and children are safe, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on Thursday.

How was he caught beforehand? Newell allegedly posted comments on YouTube threatening to attack a black preschool in order to injure or kill children, along with other violent threats, according to a report by The Independent, citing a probable cause affidavit. Google reported the threats posted from the account alleged to be Newell’s to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center. Court documents showed investigators linked the threatening account to an email address registered to Newell, matching his phone number and an address, according to The Independent. Officials then tracked the account’s IP address to Newport, N.C., leading Carteret County officials to arrest Newell at his home. Local law enforcement continue working closely with the FBI and the man is expected to face more federal charges, according to the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office.

Dig deeper: Read my report about the FBI’s investigation of the recent Minneapolis Catholic school shooting as a hate crime.