By Erika Hernandez
A young man from Arkansas was arrested after allegedly Threatening to carry out a mass shooting at a Walmart if the country went into lockdown again due to the hantavirus outbreakthe authorities reported.
The suspect was identified as Aaron Bynum, 20, of Oakland, Arkansas. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that he was arrested on Friday and charged with first-degree terroristic threats and harassing communications, Fox Files reported.
FBI received alert during online video game
According to investigators, the case began on May 9 when the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received an electronic tip from an online player.
The person claimed that another user had threatened to carry out an armed attack on a local Walmart “if the country closed again due to the hantavirus.”
The complainant provided the username of the alleged perpetrator and a recording made within the video game with the alleged threats.
Subsequently, the authorities requested information from the company that owned the video game, which identified Bynum as the account holder.
The FBI office in Fayetteville notified local authorities and Marion County agents executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home.
During the operation, Investigators seized a computer and other electronic accessories related to the investigation.
Bynum was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Marion County Detention Center. Authorities set bail at $2,500.
Hantavirus outbreak raises international concern
The case occurs amid international attention over the hantavirus outbreak associated with the MV Hondius cruise ship.
The World Health Organization reported that as of May 13, 11 cases related to the outbreak had been identified: eight confirmed, two probable and one inconclusive. Additionally, three deaths were linked to the virus.
Canadian health authorities later confirmed one additional positive case, bringing the number of confirmed infections linked to the ship to 10.
Despite comparisons with the covid-19 pandemic, Specialists have insisted that the hantavirus has much more limited transmission.
Doctor Marc Siegel, a Fox Files medical analyst, noted that the virus “is not similar” to the coronavirus due to the difficulty of spreading between people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the Andes strain, detected in the MV Hondius outbreak, is the only hantavirus variant with documented transmission between humans, although these cases are considered rare.
Keep reading:
· Hantavirus reappeared: what is this outbreak about?
· They confirm that a drug used for another disease works against hantavirus
· The hantavirus is highly contagious at the beginning, warns the WHO. Quarantine recommended for suspected cases
