St. Pete man accused of threatening mass shooting in New York City subway
Robert Trout III mugshot courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A St. Petersburg man is facing federal charges after investigators say he threatened a mass shooting in New York City last month.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Robert Trout III, 19, posted a video on Instagram making threats to go to New York City and "cause havoc on the subway" by shooting "anybody" that he sees on Thanksgiving. In the video, officials say he warned, "if you’re from New York City, do not take the train on Thursday evening."
While making these threats, investigators say Trout displayed multiple firearms, including two semi-automatic firearms with extended clips containing a total of 60 bullets, while stating, "that’s 60 shots - that’s sixty people dead."
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Investigators say several recent postings on Trout’s Instagram, along with witness statements, led law enforcement officers to identify Trout as the person responsible for making the threats.
Trout appeared in federal court in Tampa on Thursday, and a judge ordered him to be held until further proceedings.
In a statement to FOX 13, MTA Spokesperson Joana Flores said, "The NYPD and federal law enforcement authorities made clear prior to and on Thanksgiving that there were no specific credible threats to New York City, including to the transit system, and we are grateful to policing professionals here, and across the country, for the work they do to keep New Yorkers safe."
The Pinellas Park Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.