Joshua Cole of Texas has been arrested for threatening violence against Abilene Pride on Facebook. He posted on the Pride’s facebook page on September 18th, writing,
“Fk their parade, I say we lock and load and pay them back for taking out Charlie Kirk.”
According the police report, Cole also wrote “Theres only like 30 of em we can send a clear message to the rest of them,” and “come on bro let’s go hunting fairies.” Cole was taken to the Taylor County Jail in Abilene September 19, and released on Wednesday. The next day, a judge ordered that he be held pending trial because of a past history of threats, including being charged with making a terroristic threat in 2019. The Pride event went on as scheduled September 20th. The group posted a statement on Facebook writing:
“We want to reassure our community that the safety of everyone at Pride has always been, and will continue to be our top priority. The swift action and continued diligence of APD and federal partners reflect their commitment to protecting our city and ensuring that Pride remains a safe, inclusive and celebratory space for all.”
