A 46-year-old Florida man was taken into custody Friday night with a bunch of cocaine after allegedly posting alarming threats targeting former President Donald Trump on social media platforms.
The arrest unfolded during an ordinary traffic stop in West Palm Beach — a community synonymous with sunshine and seaside calm but now at the center of a tense federal investigation.
Authorities said Shannon Depararro Atkins’ online tirades, which included references to assassinations of past U.S. leaders, sent shockwaves through law enforcement channels after being flagged to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center.
One of his more disturbing Facebook posts reportedly read, “Lincoln, JFK, Reagan, Martin Luther King and Trump — unfortunately, one is still alive.”
Another amplified violent rhetoric, calling for “Bullets, please. Please Jesus! Save America.” Detectives linked Atkins to the threats on January 20 and swiftly launched surveillance.
Their efforts culminated in a traffic stop Friday at about 7:30 p.m., where Atkins was driving a white 2013 BMW near his home.
During the stop, officers reportedly found drugs in his possession — three bags of cocaine — which resulted in an additional charge for drug possession.
Atkins was arrested on a second-degree felony count of written or electronic threats to kill, harm, or conduct an act of terrorism.
Investigators emphasized that the violent rhetoric could not be dismissed as mere jokes, given two previous assassination attempts on Trump in 2024.
Atkins, who admitted to making the posts but claimed they were made in jest, now faces rigorous scrutiny, with the U.S. Secret Service investigating whether he’ll face federal charges.
His Facebook activity also revealed a predisposition to political commentary, with references aligning him with Democratic leanings. Notably, Atkins had shared a photo of himself wearing a “Harris-Walz 2024” T-shirt in a post last year.
The arrest, which unfolded just miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, has sparked a polarizing debate on social media.
While some users commended law enforcement for taking decisive action, others argued that Atkins’ comments, however distasteful, didn’t rise to the level of actionable threats.
“Where was the threat? He never stated “I” or an “I will” I’m sorry but weak case unfortunately,” one user noted, while another fumed”That idiot needs to be on constant watch cause he is crazy and no doubt a democrat!!!”
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