Man will plead guilty to threatening Pride event after Charlie Kirk’s death | Charlie Kirk shooting
A Texas man has pleaded guilty to charges that he took to social media and threatened to shoot people at an LGBTQ+ parade as revenge for the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
Joshua Wayne Cole has signed federal court filings saying he plans to plead guilty to an interstate threatening communications charge at a tentatively scheduled hearing for Oct. 16, nearly a month after his arrest in connection with online posts threatening to open fire at a Pride Parade in Abilene, Texas.
The Anson, Texas, resident could face up to five years in prison, but defendants who plead guilty before trials generally do not face maximum penalties.
Cole came under scrutiny from authorities after those preparing to host the Abilene Pride Parade on Sept. 18 noticed his threatening Facebook posts and reported them to local police. After Kirk’s murder, the police informed the FBI as tensions increased across the USA.
Responding to a message from Sept. 20 Abilene Pride organizers announcing that no weapons would be allowed at their event, one of the posts in question said: “I say we lock up their parade and pay them back for killing Charlie Kirk.”
Cole allegedly continued: “There are only 30 of them, we can send a clear message to the rest.” Using a term used to denigrate LGBTQ+ people, Cole also wrote: “Come on bro, let’s go hunt fairies.”
The posts touched on specific aspects of the investigation into the shooting death of Kirk at Utah Valley University (UVU) on September 10. Utah prosecutors, citing interviews investigators conducted with people close to the suspect in the case, alleged that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson killed Kirk after becoming fed up with what he perceived as “hate” from activists. Investigators claim they were told by Robinson’s family that Robinson had become “more pro-gay and transgender rights oriented” in the year before Kirk’s murder.
An FBI agent reported that Cole tried to confront him at his workplace in Abilene. But an employee there said Cole had already quit his job there — describing her as “hot” — and walked out of the facility angrily, federal prosecutors wrote in court records.
Abilene police pulled Cole over while driving a day later, accompanied by the FBI agent who was investigating him. Prosecutors said Cole agreed to talk to the FBI agent about his “online activities,” admitting he shared comments that caught the attention of investigators, and added that he “did not believe the gay pride event should be allowed.”
Authorities arrested Cole at this point and he was later ordered detained without bail until the case against him was adjudicated.
But that did not deter the Abilene Pride Alliance, which organized the parade that Cole threatened, from requesting extra security for the event, prosecutors said. Prosecutors wrote that McMurry University canceled its participation in the parade after sponsoring a float for the event because Cole’s posts made the school “fear that students would be injured or killed.”
Court records show Cole signed documents Oct. 5 indicating his intent to plead guilty. His attorney, Russell Lorfing, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As a result of Kirk’s death, the Trump administration has vowed to vociferously crack down on left-wing groups that generally oppose the views of the Turning Point USA founder, arguing that those organizations were also responsible for his killing. However, he did not make a statement or comment regarding Cole’s arrest.
