Lubbock Man Arrested for Threatening Elementary School Shooting

A Lubbock man accused of making online threats to carry out a school shooting has been arrested and charged with interstate threatening communications, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham announced.

Stephen Patrick Furr, 29, was taken into custody on Monday and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch on Wednesday morning.

According to the criminal complaint, the FBI received a tip on February 2 regarding a series of disturbing social media posts on BlueSky, a microblogging site. In one post, Furr wrote, “Thinking about going out and buying a gun. When in Texas, shoot [expletive] [expletive] am I right? Good thing I live next to an elementary school.”

The threats escalated, with Furr allegedly posting:

• “Will be fun to legally shoot up a school. I can already smell the blood.”
• “Anyone wanna sign my gun?”
• He also shared images from the March 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque shootings that left 51 people dead.

FBI agents traced the posts to Furr and visited his Lubbock residence on February 3. According to the complaint, he was “disheveled and unkempt” when agents arrived, yelled incoherently, and refused to speak with them, claiming he would only talk after the President confirmed their identities.

During the investigation, officers contacted two of Furr’s family members, who reported that he had also threatened them.

“The foresight of a single tipster – coupled with the prompt action of law enforcement – may have saved dozens of young lives,” Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said. “If you see something, say something. You may help law enforcement avert a tragedy.”

“The defendant’s concerning social media posts were reported to the FBI, and the resulting law enforcement response ensured no one was harmed,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting the communities we serve, and we encourage the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious or threatening behavior to law enforcement.”

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and Furr is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency conducted the investigation with the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag is prosecuting the case.

Members of the public can report potential threats to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.