https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...80784.html
 

Quote:Man who made finger guns outside of elementary school for TikTok challenge facing 10 years in prison.
 
A 20-year-old man who made finger guns outside of an elementary school as part of a TikTok challenge could be facing up to ten years in prison.
Joel Edwards, from St Clair Shores, Michigan, was already on probation for a separate crime when he was arrested.
 
FBI agents reported his social media accounts to state police on September 13, after videos linked to his account allegedly expressed a desire to carry out a mass shooting.
SCS Police carried out a welfare check of his home, where they allegedly discovered weapons, according to a public statement from Peter Lucido, the Macomb County Prosecutor.
However, Edward’s mother, Rebekah, has branded the situation as a misunderstanding.

Edwards is being held on a $5 million bond.
He has been charged with using a computer to commit a crime; intentional threat to commit an act of violence against a school with specific intent to carry out or overt act toward; and felony firearm charges, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
Collectively, he could be facing ten years behind bars if he is found guilty.

I just came across this story, and it made me think of another recent thread posted a few days ago...
Shoot a gun in America as a Brit and see what happens
I think both fall into the same 'idiot' category. Post something on social media to threaten or that can appear threatening and see what happens.

Posting to social media, it can be so easy for something to taken out of context and develop a life of it's own, when the original idea might not have been what was intended, then add a world wide audience and it can soon draw unwanted attention.
Social media is now having a huge impact in the real world, and with it also early signs of possible acts of depravation or anti social behaviour in people's posts, and police enforcement are using it as a way to spot possible law breaking.

What's the opinion of the members here about the police monitoring peoples social media.

Considering how demon-possessed most of these school shooters seem, I'm surprised there isn't an organization like the Westboro Baptist Church marching around outside schools with signs reading "God Wants Dead American Schoolkids" or "God Hates Godless Schools".

Because that's freedom of speech and religion, right? And, as God is sovereign, it's true, right?

Or are such things only legal when it's f**s?



From the notebook of the Minneapolis school shooter:



If God didn't want it to happen, it wouldn't.

(12-09-2025, 08:48 AM)Kurokage Wrote: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...80784.html
 

I just came across this story, and it made me think of another recent thread posted a few days ago...
Shoot a gun in America as a Brit and see what happens
I think both fall into the same 'idiot' category. Post something on social media to threaten or that can appear threatening and see what happens.

Posting to social media, it can be so easy for something to taken out of context and develop a life of it's own, when the original idea might not have been what was intended, then add a world wide audience and it can soon draw unwanted attention.
Social media is now having a huge impact in the real world, and with it also early signs of possible acts of depravation or anti social behaviour in people's posts, and police enforcement are using it as a way to spot possible law breaking.

What's the opinion of the members here about the police monitoring peoples social media.

Is this not what people have been bitching they want for years now? People who pose a threat to school children to be arrested and taken care of before they can carry out their acts.

He fucked around and found out. He made a video of himself pointing "finger guns" at a school, then was arrested after a welfare check was performed and he was found with guns in his possession. 

IMO, TikTok is, and I believe has, going to get people killed for doing those stupid "challenges". First it's "ding dong ditch", then it's "let's go kick on peoples doors at 3am like we are breaking in then wonder why we get shot at", now it's "let's make threatening gestures towards an elementary school and then wonder why I am being arrested". Kids today are retards 

Play stupid games and you are going to win stupid prizes, too bad this guy will probably be out here in a little while and who knows what he will do then.....

(12-09-2025, 08:58 AM)UltraBudgie Wrote: If God didn't want it to happen, it wouldn't.

It’s more complicated than that.  For whatever reason life is spiritual boot camp and you have free will.  Some rise to simply be humane and treat others with humility and the way they want to be treated.  Others fail.

Seen lots on life is really a simulation.  Maybe life is a simulation to find those that can rise.

(12-09-2025, 10:20 AM)WallFlowerActive Wrote: It’s more complicated than that.  For whatever reason life is spiritual boot camp and you have free will.  Some rise to simply be humane and treat others with humility and the way they want to be treated.  Others fail.

Seen lots on life is really a simulation.  Maybe life is a simulation to find those that can rise.

May be! That is a cheerier interpretation than the loosh-farm hypothesis!

(12-09-2025, 10:41 AM)UltraBudgie Wrote: May be! That is a cheerier interpretation than the loosh-farm hypothesis!

It’s no theory life is a test of survival.

He's already on probation and then he goes and makes threatening gestures to schoolkids based on a tic tok challenge?    I'm nominating him for 'dumbass of the year' award.   His competition will be tough, but he's got a good shot at it.

(12-09-2025, 08:48 AM)Kurokage Wrote: Social media is now having a huge impact in the real world, and with it also early signs of possible acts of depravation or anti social behaviour in people's posts, and police enforcement are using it as a way to spot possible law breaking.

What's the opinion of the members here about the police monitoring peoples social media.

Not enough information. Hopefully a jury will hear more details than we looking at news reports do.

I haven't seen the tiktok video or what Edwards said. So I can't have my own opinion on whether it was a direct credible threat.

I don't know what the terms of his probation were, so don't know if possessing firearms in his house is considered illegal for probation violation or if the firearms charge is due to possession of firearm while committing the felony of posting on TikTok.

Pointing one's finger isn't a crime.

But yeah, due to the beefing up of FBI budget, they have the means of searching all media for red flags. It was FBI that notified local police.

We should all write in a very mellow, non threatening way, curtailing our speech to seem absolutely peaceful, not a threat to anyone because Big Brother is watching.

(12-09-2025, 08:58 AM)UltraBudgie Wrote: Considering how demon-possessed most of these school shooters seem, I'm surprised there isn't an organization like the Westboro Baptist Church marching around outside schools with signs reading "God Wants Dead American Schoolkids" or "God Hates Godless Schools".

My question is this. (Noting this trend is in poor taste. But criminal?)

What about a library? Or Capitol Hill. A playground? A hospital?

what about flipping off a cop?

what about the devil/hook ‘em horns symbol?

Where does Freedom of Speech end and the slide into demonstrative terrorism begin?

Fully aware actions have consequences. But says who?

just my 2 Pennies.