Man facing charges over 'storm the courthouse' posts on Facebook had guns illegally, sheriff says
A 22-year-old man charged with making a threat on Facebook to “storm the courthouse’” in connection with a controversial Kansas felony-murder trial says he made a “poor word choice” and is sorry, but never intended a threat to anyone.
Samuel McCrory told KAKE that he wanted to meet with the Sedgwick County district attorney and now realizes he should simply have made an appointment.
“I understand the fear, it was just not my intent at all,” said McCrory “I’m not a violent person. I’ve never wanted to harm anybody.”
Meanwhile, Sheriff Jeff Easter said McCrory, who is also facing firearms counts, could face more because he was convicted of a felony charge of aggravated battery in 2008 as a juvenile. Therefore, he was banned from having a gun for 10 years following the conviction, reports the Wichita Eagle. Easter had said earlier that McCrory, who was allegedly known for carrying firearms at public events in Wichita, was legally exercising his Second Amendment rights by doing so. However, at that time authorities were unaware of McCrory’s felony record because juvenile felonies weren’t part of the searchable database they used, the sheriff explained.
Residents repeatedly expressed concern about a man, identified by Easter as McCrory, appearing in public carrying an AR-15 assault rifle, a handgun and an ax and sometimes wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, the sheriff has said.
It was only after McCrory was arrested in the Facebook-threat case, Easter told the Eagle, that his office learned the suspect had previously lived in Rice County and found out his felony record by calling authorities there.
McCrory’s felony record didn’t appear on a National Crime Incident Computer database because it doesn’t include juvenile records, Easter explained. Despite concerned residents’ calls about McCrory’s alleged open carry of firearms at public events, officers needed probable cause or reasonable suspicion a crime had been committed before running a background check.
Authorities now intend to go back and review 911 calls for at least the last year and check those that concerned an armed individual that might have been McCrory against surveillance footage, the sheriff said.
“We’ve got to prove that it was him,” he told the Eagle. “This isn’t easy. But it’s something we should look at.”
Easter said McCrory had a gun in his waistband when he was arrested in the Facebook-threat case and authorities found a shotgun and a rifle at his home.
McCrory told KAKE he passed a background check before purchasing some firearms at a local gun shop.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Man is acquitted in felony murder case, but supporter faces charges over Facebook posts”
