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Gulfport Police Arrest Man for Shooting Threat
By Abby Baker
Gulfport Police made an arrest following a video posted on social media platform Snapchat featuring the recorder threatening to shoot into a public roadway and parking lot with an “AR-15-style pistol,” according to a report on Thursday, July 1.
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According to police, Forrester wielded an “AR-15-style pistol,” similar to the one seen here.
Wikimedia Commons
On June 26, police allege that Ter’on Jerome Forrester, 20, uploaded the video he recorded from his backyard at 15th Ave. S.
“Forrester pointed the firearm at a busy roadway and parking lot, where two fully marked Gulfport Police Department vehicles were parked and where civilian vehicles and two PSTA buses passed through the barrel and scopes line of sight,” the Gulfport Police Department release stated.
On Wednesday, June 30, Gulfport detectives, with the help of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Pinellas County Sheriff ’s Offi ce deputies, located and arrested Forrester on charges for written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting, a second degree felony.
“The way Snapchat works, the person that reported this had to be a friend or a follower of his account,” said Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent.
According to police, the firearm, which was not Forrester’s but was purchased legally, was equipped with an extended magazine and scope and the safety was off in the video. Forrester was issued a Risk Protection Order, “which is designed to enhance public safety by restricting firearm and ammunition possession by a person who poses a danger to himself/herself or others.” The firearm was recovered by law enforcement during the investigation.
“The video was captioned ‘bored af’‘ ‘got 40 fa dey ass’ followed by a laughing with tears of joy emoji face,” read the release.
“There is an amendment now that allows us to prosecute when there is a publicly posted threat, it doesn’t have to be a direct tag,” Vincent said.
Forrester was taken to Pinellas County Jail with a $10,000 bond.
