A Tennessee man, Larry Bushart, was arrested and charged with making threats of mass violence after posting a meme referencing Donald Trump in a Facebook group memorializing slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, which was misinterpreted by members of the group as a threat against their local high school. Despite investigators acknowledging the meme was not a direct threat, Bushart was arrested and held for over a month. However, the charges against him have since been dropped, after an interview revealed authorities were responding to community anxiety rather than an actual threat. Bushart, who lost his job due to his imprisonment, had been arrested and charged in connection with the fallout from Kirk’s death, who had been assassinated on a college campus.
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In Tennessee, a 61-year-old former police officer named Larry Bushart Jr. was arrested and charged with making threats of mass violence after posting a meme in a Facebook group organizing a vigil for Charlie Kirk. The meme, which quoted Donald Trump, was interpreted by group members as a threat against Perry County High School. Law enforcement investigated and determined Bushart intentionally sought to create hysteria, leading to his arrest. The arrest is part of a larger pattern of repercussions following Kirk’s assassination, with authorities taking all threats of school violence seriously.
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A Tennessee man, Kevin Wade O’Neal, was arrested after threatening to kill public officials and law enforcement. Authorities discovered a smoldering improvised explosive device (IED) upon taking O’Neal into custody, leading to a search of his home. The search revealed a total of 14 IEDs, allegedly intended to detonate upon law enforcement’s arrival. O’Neal faces numerous charges, including attempted first-degree murder and possession of prohibited weapons, and is currently held at the Polk County Jail.
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A Tennessee judge has ordered the deactivation of death-row inmate Byron Black’s implanted heart device before his scheduled lethal injection to prevent potential shocks during the execution. The ruling comes after Black’s attorneys argued the device could cause extreme pain if triggered by the pentobarbital. The order mandates the state to have medical professionals and equipment on hand for deactivation, though the state is likely to appeal. This decision follows a long legal battle, including a clemency request citing Black’s cognitive disabilities and medical conditions.
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U.S. Army Private First Class Katia Dueñas Aguilar, a 23-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Campbell, was found dead in her Clarksville, Tennessee home in May 2023 with 68 stab wounds. Sofia Rodas has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, while her husband, Reynaldo Salinas Cruz, faces a charge of tampering with evidence. Both were extradited to Clarksville from federal custody on unrelated charges. Aguilar’s family is seeking answers following the tragic death of the young mother who had recently expressed unhappiness with her Army service.
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John Q. Hosedrinker