Monday, the deal between former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown and the New England Patriots became official. The talented veteran was quickly made a member of the Super Bowl-favorite mere days after forcing his way out of the Bay Area, much to the chagrin of football fans. Some responded to the news of this roster move by setting Brown jerseys on fire while others simply took to social media to post their frustration. One fan, however, opted for a far more dangerous – and illegal – path.
According to the Daily Mail UK, a Rhode Island resident named Tobias Gray, 44, has been arrested after threatening to open fire at the Patriots stadium. He was arrested on Sunday at his home and appeared in court on Monday in a Giants jersey and jacket. This alleged threat on Facebook was due to the defending Super Bowl champions bringing a receiver of Brown’s talent to the roster.
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Gray posted a status update on his Facebook page threatening to ‘pull a white boys school shooting at Foxboro,’ which was in reference to Gillette Stadium where the Patriots play, per CBS Boston.
“I don’t ever really post too many things so you know this is real since the Patriots signed Antonio Brown I’m going to pull a white boys school shooting at Foxboro you might as well just hand them the ring right now I’m if I ever get my hands on a gun which I don’t have one yet but I’m looking I will go shoot up random people at Foxboro,”
While Gray did appear in court on Monday, this was not due to the threat on Facebook. He was actually facing unrelated charges of assault. He was also charged with simple and domestic assault and threatening police officers at the time of his arrest.
The Facebook post was ultimately deleted, and Gray’s attorney has weighed in on the situation, saying that no harm was actually intended. Gray was simply upset about Brown joining the Patriots.
“He just really didn’t get into why, he’s a Giants fan apparently,” his attorney Stefanie DiMaio Larivee said. “He was not happy about it as I can see online many, many fans of many other football teams were not happy about it.”
Whether or not Gray meant the words in his Facebook post, he will not be leaving the custody of the police. He is being held until the charges in Foxborough are resolved. Gray is also being charged with a fugitive of justice complaint for making terroristic threats in Massachusetts.
