Boston police arrest teen accused of threatening to “kill everyone” at local gay bars
16-year-old allegedly made threatening calls to dbar and The Alley
Police in Boston have arrested a teenager accused of threatening to “shoot everyone” in gay bars in the city.
The 16-year-old boy, whose identity has not been released, was arrested by officers from the Seabrook New Hampshire Police Department on Friday, Nov. 23.
According to a police statement, he was “wanted in connection to an investigation surrounding threatening phone calls which had been received at two Boston area bars.”
The statement continues: “At the time of his arrest, the suspect was wanted on outstanding warrants sought out of Suffolk County Juvenile Court for Threats with Serious Public Alarm and Civil Rights Violations in connection to that investigation as well as additional warrants stemming from other charges from outside jurisdictions.”
The bars in question were dbar in Dorchester and The Alley in downtown Boston, WCVB reports.
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The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office reported that the calls, made on Nov. 9 and 10, threatened to “kill everyone” and “shoot everyone in the bar.”
“The records also suggest calls made to several other Boston bars serving the gay community during the same time period,” the DA’s office said. “Investigators are following up with staff at those establishments to determine whether additional charges are warranted.”
At the time of the calls, Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross said that police “don’t take any threats lightly,” WHDH reported.
“Everybody should be able to enjoy any establishment that they wish to go into in the City of Boston,” Gross said. “Whether it’s The Alley or dbar, you should be able to enjoy yourself peacefully.”
In a statement earlier this month, Brian Piccini owner of dbar, said the bar received a “threatening and bigoted phone call.”
In addition to working with police, Piccini said the bar would “continue to show our defiance towards intolerance by not giving into threats by standing united at dbar. We will continue to work with the BPD to ensure a safe and friendly experience for all of our guests.”
The suspect, who appeared at the 10th Circuit Family Division of Portsmouth Court, is expected to face charges as early as Monday afternoon.
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