FBI accuses Twitter user of massacre threats
Posts to CitizenQuasar Twitter page.
(Credit: Screenshot by Steven Musil/CNET)An Oklahoma City man who allegedly threatened on Twitter to turn a tax protest into a massacre has been arrested on suspicion of making interstate threats in what is believed to be the first federal prosecution based on posts made to the micro-blogging site.
The FBI arrested Daniel Knight Hayden, 52, after agents identified him as Twitter user CitizenQuasar. Using the micro-blogging site, Hayden allegedly threatened to start a "war" against the government at the Oklahoma City Capitol where a "Tea Party" tax protest was planned.
"START THE KILLING NOW! I am willing to be the FIRST DEATH!," read a message posted at 8:01 p.m. on April 11, which was followed by, "After I am killed on the Capitol Steps, like a REAL man, the rest of you will REMEMBER ME!!!" Another post said: "I really don' give a (expletive) anymore. Send the cops around. I will cut their heads off the heads and throw the(m) on the State Capitol steps."
Hayden directed many of his tweets toward another Oklahoma City man he erroneously thought was an organizer of the protest. Wired tracked down Earl Shaffer, a 68-year-old retiree who Hayden allegedly tweeted about, including posts with his phone number.
"He seemed to know stuff about me, but I don't know how or why," Shaffer told Wired. "He called me a few days before that tea party and let me know somehow he got my name as one of the organizers. I don't have the energy."
Shaffer told CNET News that he has never met Hayden and is unnerved by the situation.
"I have no idea who this guy is," Shaffer said. "It is very much a concern that he mentions my being killed."
One of the last messages posted to the site on April 15 says CitizenQuasar is "Locked AND loaded for the Oklahoma State Capitol. Let's see what happens."
Hayden was arraigned on April 16 and released to an Oklahoma City halfway house, according to various media reports.
The U.S. intelligence community has expressed concern that terrorists might use Twitter to coordinate attacks. A draft Army intelligence report prepared by the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion and posted to the Federation of American Scientists Web site examined the possible ways terrorists could use mobile and Web technologies such as the Global Positioning System, digital maps, and Twitter mashups to plan and execute terrorist attacks.
Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. Before joining CNET News in 2000, Steven spent 10 years at various Bay Area newspapers. E-mail Steven. 
Mad man or not, he still has a right to freedom of expression. And you can not pick and choose to whom rights apply.
I have a good quote on this actually.
If all mankind minus one were of one opinion and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that person that he, if he had the power, would be in silencing mankind? If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth; if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
Its called preventing something before it happens if your kid was murdered and they could of prevented by taking action on a posting would you not be pissed off?
There's a difference between freedom and absolute license.
We are approaching the Nanny State, nothing we can do to stop it. It is going to be a bumpy ride, bye bye freedoms and liberty, hello International Law, censorship, the Thought Police, being arrested for blogging, etc.
This isn't picking and choosing. In 1919, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that in cases of clear and present danger (i.e. inciting mass murders), the first amendment can't protect you. This precedent, that you can be arrested for trying to incite violence,
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AIPAC incites violence but just in the name of god and look how we help them.
Perhaps if the old man said to do this in the name of god he would be ok
@monkeyfun14 They could keep tabs on the guy, but there is no cause for an arrest.
The man trolley is obviously "off the tracks" and he isn't making any sense with the threats.
Its better that the authorities stop this individual NOW and get him back on his meds, rather than when he's committed suicide by S.W.A.T team, called in after he's shot a bunch of innocent bystanders.
Until we have effective gun control you NEED this. (You can own all the guns you want but you can't shoot anyone who is "wearing" a GPS "beacon". [Think of the 9th century Icelandic concept of "Outlawry" enforced by technology. {While you can't shoot them, they can't shoot you. If you can shoot at them, then you CAN shoot at them.}])
Well, they can always blame it on, oh I don't know... let's say Rush.
By the way, doesn't this sound all too familiar? A crazy-ass militia type with his mind made up to "strike back" at the government in Oklahoma City...
The guy just seems like a loon who wanted attention. If he had any politcal leaning, it surely doesn't sound like he was right-wing. If anything, it sounds like he was setting out to destroy the tea party.
If he wasn't dealt with when the warning signs were exhibited and then happened to be one of those rare individuals who followed through with their crazy threats, then people would be criticizing the government which "ignored" the threat.
He's probably of no danger to anyone and if he's really just a frustrated old dude who had a little fit of rage, he'll be out of that halfway house soon enough.
2) Rather than arrest the person, could not they have first undertaken evaluation (which would not take that long), and then if the individual was truly deemed a threat (using reasonable, not invented guidelines), get him off the street?
3) Free speech is a very precious right to be protected, it is what the founders of this country fought and died for.
4) Is the FBI monitoring respondents to the article and putting YOU on a watch list? Think about it people!!
You are an idiot. If you have memory problem then I suggest you start keeping a diary so that in the future you can refer to your notes before making monic comments.
Teenager arrested over internet threat to President
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/teenager-arrested-over-internet-threat-to-president-692970.html
Hammond man arrested for making threat on Bush's life
http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl011309cbbushplot.43ac2e7.html
Man arrested for threatening Bush near White House
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2848993920080128?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Typical hatred from your type. God forbid that anyone doesn't think just like you- they must be idiots and moronic. Always resorting to name calling in a friendly debate.
wow; you found 3 cases over 8 years. We've already had 3 in 3 months.
- by hassan_bin_sober April 28, 2009 9:32 AM PDT
- The FBI sucks dick and barks at the moon!
- Like this Reply to this comment
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