SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A 21-year-old Destiny USA security guard has been fired after telling co-workers he wanted to commit mass shootings at the mall and at an upcoming local pride parade, police reports obtained by NewsChannel 9 reveal.
The man, who NewsChannel 9 is not naming because he hasn’t been charged, is not in custody.
The Onondaga County District Attorney says the threat isn’t a case of “making a terroristic threat,” because it was the result of private conversations, not shared with a wide audience over social media.
Saturday, May 20, a manager with Destiny USA’s security service, Allied United Security, was informed about comments made by one of his newly-hired guards around co-workers.
The police report states he: “made verbal comments to other co-workers where he threated to shoot up Destiny USA and also to shoot up the Gay Pride Parade, presumably the upcoming festival that is celebrated annually in Syracuse.”
The event scheduled for June 10 is officially named “CNY Pride Festival and Parade.”
The guard’s co-workers accuse him of further saying he preferred stabbing people at these locations because he “wanted to see the life drain from their eyes.”
The next day, the manager questioned the guard about the comments, who denied making them but was asked to leave the property until further notice.
The following Wednesday, the guard was fired over the phone and formally banned from the Destiny USA property.
There’s no indication the guard had weapons or written plans to actually commit the crimes.
Thursday, June 1, State Supreme Court Justice Robert Antonacci approved a requested Extreme Risk Protection Order, which prevents the suspect from possession guns until a year-long ban is considered on June 6.