Man Faces Terrorism Charges After Threatening Tweet About 'Killing Kids' At 4 Schools
HOWELL (WWJ) - A comment about "killing kids" on a school Twitter account has led to several charges of terrorism for a 21-year-old Canton Township man.
The Livingston County prosecutor's office has brought four counts of making a threat of terrorism against Scott Richard Parker over comments he posted on Twitter Wednesday involving four different Howell-area schools. He's expected to be arraigned on the charges Friday.
According to police, Parker made a "nonspecific threat about killing kids" on the Howell Public Schools official Twitter account.
Police, however, indicated that Parker never had the means to carry out the threats -- he has no access to any weapons and doesn't even have a driver's license. They also said he suffers from a diminished mental capacity.
But none of that matters, according to WWJ Legal Analyst Charlie Langton.
"If charged with terrorism in Michigan, it is not a defense that the defendant never had the actual intent or even the capacity to carry out those threats," said Langton. "If Parker is convicted, he is looking at 20 years in prison."
After he was identified as a suspect, Parker was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor for a psychological evaluation, The Livingston Daily reported. Once the exam was complete, he was taken into custody.
Parker is a former student at Howell High School, but transferred and graduated from Plymouth-Canton High School.
