PALATKA, Fla. — Police say a man who made erratic social media posts threatening a mass shooting is in custody.
Andrew Pierce Phillips, a 31-year-old from Palatka, wrote he was planning a mass shooting "for years," and seeking to purchase a gun, which he is not able to purchase legally due to an injunction, police said.
Palatka residents alerted the police after seeing these alarming messages, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said in a release.
One of Phillips' posts, shared by PCSO, said: "All I know is I better get my grand dads shotgun when my dad dies because I will either open fire at the funeral and conduct a mass shooting." He also asked for firearms and said he did not care if they were stolen.
Detectives located Phillips at his place of employment in Palatka and placed under arrest.
During a search of his residence on Palm Avenue, no firearms were found.
“In light of the increased violence we have seen by those with mental health issues, this is a perfect example of see something, say something,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said. “After talking to people who know this individual, he is clearly having his own personal internal struggle. He is now clearly on our radar and we will do everything to ensure the community’s safety as well as his own well-being.”
Phillips was arrested and charged with sending a written threat to conduct a mass shooting, a second-degree felony. He is currently being held at the Putnam County Jail on no bond.
