A Rhode Island man sporting a New York Giants jersey in court Monday was ordered transferred to Massachusetts after police say he threatened to “pull a white boys school shooting” at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium after the Patriots signed star wide receiver Antonio Brown over the weekend.
Tobias Gray, 44, of East Providence — whose Facebook page includes “Unibomba” and past photos of him apparently pointing a gun — was charged with threatening to commit a crime and bomb/hijack threat.
“Since the Patriots signed Antonio Brown I’m going to pull a white boys school shooting at Foxboro,” Gray wrote on Facebook about an hour after the Patriots acquired Brown on Saturday, police said.
“If I ever get my hands on a gun which I don’t have one yet but I’m looking I will shoot up random people at Foxboro,” the now-deleted post stated according to police.
Gray’s attorney, Stefanie DiMaio-Larivee, said on Monday that Brown signing with the Super Bowl champs has triggered reaction from fans around the country and her client’s post was not intended to be taken seriously.
“Whatever my client allegedly posted or not, it was never meant as a serious threat,” DiMaio-Larivee said.
When asked if Gray owns guns, the lawyer said she doesn’t believe he has any firearms.
“He’s not the type of guy who has guns,” DiMaio-Larivee said.
Gray has a lengthy criminal history, including charges connected to conspiracy, drugs, domestic assaults and violating no-contact orders.
No firearm charges were listed, according to police. Based on Gray’s criminal history, it was “very unlikely” he would possess a license to carry a firearm, police wrote in a report.
Authorities checking his Facebook page said they found two photos from 2015 of him pointing what appears to be a gun.
A Foxboro Police officer noted in a report Sunday that the Patriots were set to play at Gillette Stadium later that night in front of 65,000 fans.
“It is within the realm of probability that game day at Gillette Stadium presents a soft target for Mr. Gray to follow through with his terrorist like threats to shoot people,” the patrolman wrote.
Police in Massachusetts and Rhode Island worked together to find Gray Sunday afternoon.
In addition to the threats charges, East Providence police arrested Gray on a warrant for domestic assault.
Gray is also accused of threatening an officer after Sunday’s arrest, and was charged with threatening a public official. Officers reported that Gray became “very hostile, aggressive and angry.”
He’s accused of telling an officer, “I’m going to make it my life mission to find you and your kid. You’re going to wish you never met me.”
Gray was arraigned Monday in Providence District Court on the domestic assault and threatening a public official charges. He was held on $25,000 surety bail, and waived extradition to Massachusetts for the Foxboro charges.
A statement from Foxboro Police on Monday reads, “In general Chief (William) Baker says the department will respond vigorously and in close collaboration with our local, state and federal partners to take appropriate action as the law allows.”
Gray will appear in Wrentham District Court at a later date.
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