When will people learn to stop saying stupid things on Facebook ? We have yet another case concerning a social media threat on President Obama’s life that got 28-year-old Christopher Castillo of Florida arrested.
Secret Service agents visited the young man’s home in November to ask him about his violent comments against President Obama, and the situation quickly deteriorated from there, according to The Smoking Gun .
On November 1, prior to Election Day, Castillo wrote the following on his Facebook:
“That’s the last straw, if he gets re-elected I’m going to hunt him down and kill him watch the life disappear from his eyes.”
Based on a concerned citizen tip-off, Secret Service agents followed up on these threats November 8, visiting Castillo’s home in Melbourne.
The felony complaint form indicated that the agents, trying to determine Castillo’s motives behind the Facebook rant, asked him what he would do “if the President was standing here right now?”
Castillo, apparently not realizing that being investigated in-person by the Secret Service is a pretty big warning sign that you’re in deep trouble, replied that he’d “b**** slap him, and beat the sh** out of him.” He also said he’d scream and call President Obama a terrorist.
Florida Today interviewed Castillo’s father, Frank Castillo, who said that his son wouldn’t actually make good on his violent threats against the president, but that he understands Secret Service’s concern.
“A lot of people say things on Facebook that they don’t mean, and I understand the Secret Service has to do what they have to do, it’s their job,” he said. “I would imagine they would find some people out there that really are loose cannons. Christopher is not one of them.”
WDBO reports that Castillo recently lost his job, and that he’s in a “fragile mental state.” A judge ruled this week that he will be released from custody after he’s sized-up for a GPS monitoring device.
Once again, it’s okay to be upset with the 2012 election and with President Obama. But threatening to kill him is wrong, and if you put it on Facebook, you better believe you’re going to get a visit from the Men in Black.