Shorewood Threat Leads To Ohio Man's Arrest

SHOREWOOD, IL — A 22-year-old Ohio resident has been charged with a federal crime in connection with online threats of violence targeting the community of Shorewood. The Toledo Blade newspaper reports that Ryan Gagnet was interviewed Feb. 7 and charged Feb. 10 with interstate communication of threats.

"The Shorewood Police is grateful to our community partners for their communication and partnership as we worked cooperatively through this distressing event," Police Chief Aaron Klima informed Patch on Tuesday afternoon. "This incident upset our entire community, and we appreciate the patience and positive feedback we received as we worked with the FBI to identify the individual responsible. We hope his arrest and the impending proceedings will provide a sense of peace and normalcy to the community."

Federal prosecutors say Gagnet used the anonymous online chat website Omegle to communicate the threats.

According to the complaint, Gagnet wrote, "Hi, It's going to be even more scary tomorrow. Because I'm going to be on the news. Commit a mass shooting. In Shorewood (Illinois)."

The online threats were made Feb. 4. Two days later, federal documents show, the FBI "determined through information provided by Omegle, the internet protocol address of the anonymous Omegle user was registered to Buckeye Cablevision."

Tuesday's police press release indicated the FBI determined the user making the threatening post resided in Maumee, Ohio. The Cleveland Division of the FBI, Toledo Resident Agency’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was contacted and began working with Maumee Police Department, the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office and the Village of Shorewood, Illinois Police Department.

By Feb. 7, "it was determined through open-source searches that the anonymous Omegle user was likely ... Ryan James Gagnet, who also resided at (address redacted)" court documents show.

Later that day, the FBI agents interviewed Ryan Gagnet at his house in Ohio and during his interview, Gagnet told them: "Maybe three days ago ... I went on Omegle ... I was wearing a mask and I was telling people that ah that there may be a mass shooting at some point ... then I would just see how ah their frightened reactions," court documents show.

"It was a one ... night thing ... I would say do you want to see my face? And then they would say yes. And then I would say, well you are going to see my face on the news ... And they would say why? ... and I would say ... because of what I am ab-going (sic) to do," Gagnet continued, according to the complaint.

Maumee, Ohio, is about 10 miles from Toledo. It's a four-hour, 254 mile drive to Shorewood.

On Feb. 7, the Shorewood Police Department issued the following statement to ease the concerns of parents and local residents: "The joint investigation between the Shorewood Police Department and the FBI regarding the threat of violence towards an undisclosed location in Shorewood continues. One thing we can report is that we and our FBI partners have determined no credible threat exists to any location in or around Shorewood."