Oklahoma Man Accused of Using Facebook to Make Threats

Staff and Wire Reports

LAWTON, Oklahoma -- A 28-year-old man made threats on his Facebook page that he was thinking about shooting up nursing homes and daycare centers, leading to the lockdown of several schools, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Joshua Chafton, of Lawton, was charged Wednesday in Comanche County District Court with a misdemeanor count of threatening to perform an act of violence.

According to police, Chafton wrote that he was "thinking about shooting up an old folks home" and that he later added a post that said "...well thought about doing a drive-by at a daycare, but that didn't sound as cool."

"Authorities in the state of Arkansas, they notified authorities here in Lawton by saying they were noticing threats on his Facebook page," said Eddie Valdez, Comanche County Assistant District Attorney.

The threats did not specify any particular nursing home or day care center, police said in an affidavit.

The allegedly threatening postings were not on Chafton's page Thursday and may have been removed.

Investigators questioned Chafton on Tuesday and released him because the threat wasn't considered valid, Capt. Craig Ackard said. Chafton was arrested Wednesday after prosecutors were given the report and a warrant was issued, he said.

Valdez said Thursday that he does not know what Chafton's motives were, but that he did not want to take any chances that the threat might be carried out.

"You never can tell about these people nowadays, you never can take a chance," Valdez said. "I don't know what his intentions were, but if you ignore this and something bad happens, what do you say at that point?"

Chafton's Facebook page includes photos of him holding what police said is an assault rifle and a video of him shooting a .44 caliber handgun. Police said he also told investigators he owns another rifle that he uses for hunting.

Online court records did not indicate that Chafton has an attorney, and Valdez said no attorney had filed on his behalf.

Valdez said as word of the threat spread, several day care centers and schools in Lawton were locked down.

"I don't know if he was serious two days ago, but he's serious about it now," Valdez said.

Valdez said he decided to file the charge as a misdemeanor rather than felony because the only evidence the Facebook comments were the only evidence that Chafton may have been planning an attack. He said investigators were trying to determine whether Chafton had developed any sort of plan to carry out a shooting.

Chafton's bond is set at $5,000, and the maximum punishment upon conviction is six months in jail.