Man arrested for threatening to shoot Lake County Courthouse

WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando reported that a man was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly threatening to bring a gun to the Lake County Courthouse and 'shoot this place up' while court was in session and the building was open to the public.

According to the arrest affidavit, the incident occurred on November 5. A Lake County sheriff’s deputy working security was approached by a person who reported that a man wearing a black shirt with red or orange writing had made threatening statements.

Witnesses told deputies the man walked toward a courtroom while on the phone and said, 'These guys think that they can intimidate me with their badges and guns. They need to stop trying me, I got a gun and badge, I will shoot this place up.'

The man had been at the courthouse earlier that day for a traffic citation hearing, during which he was disruptive and escorted out. He later returned and was verbally aggressive toward law enforcement before making the threats.

The courthouse was open with law enforcement officers, clerks, judges, and civilians inside. The man was arrested at 1:40 p.m. on a charge of threatening death or bodily harm to court personnel and is being held on a $5,000 bond at the Lake County jail.