‘Erase the Evil’: Facebook Threat Leads to Arrest in Lumpkin County

LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — A man was arrested in Lumpkin County after federal investigators said he posted a threat on Facebook indicating he planned to kill a family member before driving toward the county with a loaded handgun in his truck.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Michael Shane Fortner posted on Facebook on Oct. 6 that he intended to shoot a family member. The post also warned people to stay out of Lumpkin County because he planned to “erase the evil from that town today.”

The threat prompted an investigation by the FBI, which used cellphone location data and Flock license plate reader cameras to track Fortner’s movements, according to the complaint.

Investigators determined Fortner was traveling toward Lumpkin County and contacted the person identified as the intended target, according to the complaint. The FBI then coordinated with the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office.

Fortner was arrested shortly after crossing into Lumpkin County, investigators said. A loaded handgun was found inside his truck.

“We want to stop it before it ever comes to fruition. And so that’s what happened in this scenario,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham said.

Graham said the FBI regularly investigates threats made through social media, including what the agency refers to as threats to life.

“Everyone has to realize online is a kind of cesspool of this activity,” Graham said. “We burn through a lot of resources, a lot of time trying to determine the real from the fake.”

U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said federal prosecutors are taking online threats seriously.

“My office takes these cases seriously because people should not behave this way online. They shouldn’t behave this way on the phone. They shouldn’t threaten each other,” Hertzberg said.

Hertzberg said people who make violent threats online could face federal consequences.

“We’re going to make sure that people understand that they cannot behave this way online,” he said. “If you behave this way, you can face significant federal consequences.”

Fortner remains in the Lumpkin County Jail without bond.