Metro Weekly

Man who threatened Pulse copycat shooting transferred to South Florida

Craig Jungwirth reportedly said in the course of a Facebook argument he had a "better solution to exterminate" gays

Craig Jungwirth mug shot - Photo: Broward County Sheriff's Office.
Craig Jungwirth mug shot – Photo: Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Craig Jungwirth, a gay man who threatened another Pulse nightclub-style massacre in Orlando, has been transferred to South Florida to face federal charges.

Jungwirth made the threats during arguments on Facebook with other South Florida residents, after being criticized for allegedly defrauding would-be tourists through a scam involving Beach Bear Weekend, an annual event that attracts gay men from around the country to South Florida each spring.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly ordered Jungwrirth, 50, to remain in custody while he awaits trial. Kelly also found that there was probable cause that Jungwirth illegally threatened to injure others via interstate commerce communication. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

Jungwirth’s threatening messages used anti-gay slurs and raised the prospect of an attack on a gay nightclub.

“My events are selling out cause you faggots are total patsies,” Jungwirth wrote in response to the criticism he was receiving online. “None of you deserve to live. If you losers thought the Pulse nightclub shooting was bad, wait till you see what I’m planning for Labor Day.”

He also added: “You can’t never catch a genius from MIT and since you faggots aren’t dying from AIDS anymore, I have a better solution to exterminate you losers. … I’m gonna be killing you fags faster than the cops kill n*****s. It’s time to clean up Wilton Manors from all you AIDS infested losers.”

Just before the Labor Day weekend, Jungwirth was arrested on a charge of driving on a suspended license in Osceola County, just south of Orlando. He was placed in jail and then transferred into federal custody last week, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Sentinel also reports that Jungwirth, a former resident of Wilton Manors, had been living with his mother in southwest Orange County. When the FBI began investigating the alleged threats, they subpoenaed records showing that Jungwirth had made the threatening posts from an Internet account registered to her address.

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!