The FBI has arrested a Texas man for allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at a local Pride event.
Joshua Cole, of Anson, Texas, allegedly posted a Facebook comment earlier this month criticizing the Abilene Pride Alliance for banning weapons and certain bags at its annual indoor festival, held September 20 at the Abilene Convention Center on the same day as the group’s Pride parade.
The original poster argued the group could not legally stop people from carrying guns into a city-owned building and shared a screenshot of the event flyer listing the venue and restrictions.
In response, Cole allegedly wrote “fk their parade” and added that he wanted to “pay them back for taking out Charlie Kirk.”
Conservatives have pointed to the fact that Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, may have been in a relationship with a transgender individual as “evidence” that LGBTQ people are violent and prone to attack Christians and conservatives. Some influencers and outlets even falsely claimed that bullet cartridges from the murder were engraved with phrases expressing “transgender ideology.”
According to a federal affidavit filed September 19, Cole, posting under the name “Jay Dubya,” also allegedly wrote, “there’s only like 30 of em we can send a clear message to the rest of them,” apparently referencing the number of Pride attendees. He also messaged another user, “come on bro let’s go hunting fairies.”
The Abilene Police Department later pulled Cole over during a traffic stop and questioned him about the post. According to the affidavit, Cole admitted he ran the “Jay Dubya” account and acknowledged writing the comments, which could be perceived as threats.
Cole told officers he didn’t believe the Pride event should be allowed but denied planning to shoot or harm participants, according to the affidavit. He admitted to owning a firearm, though it was unclear whether he possessed it legally.
On September 19, Cole was arrested and booked into Taylor County Jail in Abilene. He was charged with sending interstate threatening communications, a crime that carries up to five years in prison and a possible fine if convicted.
“The threats were not conditional. The threats were specific,” an FBI special agent states in the affidavit. “The threats were also specific to a particular set of victims: people participating in the gay pride parade tomorrow.”
The agent also visited Cole’s former employer, who said he had recently quit and “stormed out of the facility in anger.” Cole had worked there for over a year and had developed a reputation among co-workers as a “hot head.”
Jail records show Cole was previously arrested in 2019 on a terroristic threat charge, according to CBS News.
On September 25, U.S. Magistrate Judge John Parker ruled there was probable cause to bring the federal charge. Citing the seriousness of the charges, Cole’s prior criminal history, the weight of evidence, and the “serious danger” his release would pose, Parker ordered him detained until trial.
Third Way, a centrist think tank tied to the Democratic Party's pro-corporate shift of the 1990s, has issued a memo listing 45 "profoundly alienating" words it says Democrats should avoid.
Marketed as advice on how to "speak plainly," the list is framed as a way to keep moderates and swing voters from viewing the party as elitist or out of touch.
In its summary of its recommendations, Third Way argues Democrats have fallen into a trap of using activist-approved language to court advocacy groups.
"These activists and advocates may take on noble causes, but in doing so they often demand compliance with their preferred messages; that is how ‘birthing person' became a stand-in for mother or mom," the memo states. The term was originally meant to acknowledge that some transgender men and nonbinary people can become pregnant.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill requiring transgender Texans to use bathrooms and other facilities in public buildings that match their assigned sex at birth.
The Republican-backed law, passed largely along party lines, applies to government-owned buildings, including public schools and universities. In addition to bathrooms, it mandates sex-segregated locker rooms, changing rooms, and shower rooms, which the law defines as "multi-occupancy private spaces."
Exceptions apply to parents, guardians, and caretakers of the opposite sex, as well as law enforcement, emergency responders, and custodial staff entering for official purposes, reports The Hill.
Sawyer Hemsley, co-founder and chief branding officer of Crumbl Cookies, recently came out as gay after an influencer's viral TikTok speculated about his sexuality.
Hemsley, who launched the billion-dollar cookie chain in 2017 with his cousin Jason McGowan while a student at Utah State, has become a prominent face of the brand on TikTok.
Hemsley addressed the speculation in an Instagram post, writing, "here have been people online trying to define me, twist things, and share conversations that feel harmful. Instead of letting others write my story, I want to share it in my own words. The truth is, over the past few years I've come to understand and accept that I'm gay."
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