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Wilbraham man arrested for threats against police, private citizens and kids

Officials said these threats often expressed a call to arms for followers of terrorist organizations.

A Wilbraham man has been arrested after making numerous threats against police, private citizens and children, according to a statement from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. 

Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, also known as “Jonathan Funwayo Nyawo,” “Michael Jacobs,” “Robert Jacobs,” and “Carl Fields,” 36, was arrested for allegedly making numerous violent threats on social media towards officials and their families, private individuals, children, and locations such as a mall and an elementary school, according to the statement.  

Nyawo was arrested Thursday in Florida and charged with one count of interstate transmission of threatening communications, according to Foley. He was ordered detained until his appearance in federal court in Springfield, which will take place at a later date, according to the statement.

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Officials said Nyawo allegedly posted various harmful, threatening communications on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Gooogle, which targeted both private and public figures and places, including members of the Wilbraham and Miami police departments and their families, Wilbraham Fire Department personnel, an elementary school, and others. 

These threats posted on X specifically involved acts of violence such as bombing, shooting, or otherwise killing the people his posts targeted, according to a statement. 

Officials said one of his posts from August 2024, read, “wilbraham and boston:  time for your children to die. […] The Wilbraham Police and Fire Department I’m going to kill their families next and make them watch before I kill them.”

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He also posted an image of an elementary school in September 2024 with the words “Torch it. Kill the kids,” according to the statement. 

Officials said these threats often expressed a call to arms for followers of terrorist organizations, such as his post from November 2024, which read, “ISIS: Attack Boston again.” 

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