Suspect in online threat in custody
New Yorker undergoing mental health assessment, no charges are planned
Bethlehem police say a New York City man who made an online threat mentioning the city is undergoing a mental health evaluation and will not face criminal charges at this time.
The man is in custody and his home has been searched, said Bethlehem police Chief Mark DiLuzio. He said officials in New York found no evidence that the man, whose name has not been released, made any plans to carry out violence.
DiLuzio declined to say exactly what the posts threatened, but said they were a definite cause of concern since they link the city to recent mass shootings that left three people dead at a California garlic festival, nine people dead at a popular entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio, and 22 dead following an attack in a crowded Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
“We want people to know that we are taking all the steps necessary to investigate this,” DiLuzio said Thursday.
He said a second online threat also was investigated and deemed unfounded. That threat was posted on the blog Lehigh Valley Ramblings, DiLuzio said.
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli told investigators that at this time, the online threat made by the New York man does not merit criminal charges, DiLuzio said. Morganelli could not immediately be reached for comment.
In light of the online threats as well as several recent mass shootings, Bethlehem police have beefed up security at Musikfest, which wraps up Sunday. Some of those added security measures include surveillance cameras as well as the visible presence of officers armed with AR-15 rifles.
After New York officials and the FBI alerted Bethlehem police about the online threats on Monday, DiLuzio said he opted to make several tweaks and changes to the safety plan for those attending the festival, as well as those working there and Bethlehem residents.
As of Thursday morning, DiLuzio said there hasn’t been a spike in arrests or incidents at Musikfest. He said the majority of the arrests are for alcoholrelated offenses and some “loud disagreements” that caught the attention of officers.