SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The 20-year-old accused of threatening a racist mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Markets in Manlius, skipped his court hearing Friday, but a lot of new information about his mindset was revealed as the hearing continued without him.
In court, the Manlius Police officer who arrested Zachary Mullen said he admitted to making the threats.
The video below explains the beginning of this story
Mullen was arrested Sunday, March 12, after threats he made on the internet were reported to the Tops management from two teenagers in Florida.
In their interview, Mullen said he was inspired by a grocery store shooting in East Township, Pennsylvania, in which 24-year-old Randy Stair, an employee of the store, barricaded the entrances and killed three co-workers.
The testimony also revealed Mullen had recently been denied for a job at the Tops in Manlius before making his threats.
Through the information provided by the Manlius Police officer, an Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputy and the prosecutor representing the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, State Supreme Court Justice Joe Lamendola went ahead and issued a full Extreme Risk Protection Order against Mullen.
Mullen is due back in a different court on criminal charges in the weeks ahead to attend a bail review hearing requested by the Onondaga County District Attorney, who wants a GPS tracking device issued to the suspect while he’s out of custody.