PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) – A 29-year-old man was arrested last week after members from the region’s Joint Terrorism Task Force discovered he had made threats to “mow” down staff at a Christian school with a shotgun, according to court records.
Zachariah M. Peterson remains in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center.
According to an affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Kevin Strauss, the investigation started on Sep. 10 when Oregon State Police received an e-mail about an Internet community forum. Investigators learned a “disturbing” post was made online 6 days earlier.
The poster claimed to have attended a Christian school as a youth “and suffered abuse at the hands of teachers and administrators,” Strauss wrote in the affidavit. The poster went to write suicidal ideations and claimed to have plans to “enter the middle-schooler building” and “catch each one of the abusive teachers and mow them down with a shotgun,” according to the affidavit. The poster reportedly wanted to enter the elementary school building “and execute as many ‘abusers,’” according to records.
The Internet host gave OSP an IP address, which returned was found in Portland, court documents state. The FBI was able to identify the IP address subscriber.
On September 10, investigators with OSP, Portland Police Bureau and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, led by the FBI, interviewed Peterson at his Southwest Portland residence.
Inside, investigators saw 4 firearms. Peterson, a convicted felon, reportedly admitted the 4 weapons belonged to him.
“Peterson admitted to sending the threatening online post about the school and also advised investigators that he had sent the posts from either his laptop or desktop computer,” according to the affidavit.
Peterson was arrested for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He is also being held on detainer from the United States Marshals.
Filed under: Crime, Multnomah County, Oregon
