PALM BEACH COUNTY (CBS12) — A 28-year-old man from Texas has been arrested and accused of making antisemitic threats against Laura Loomer and other conservative activists living in Florida.
Nicholas Ray is being held without bond in the Palm Beach County Jail on multiple charges of threatening a mass shooting or terrorist act, and multiple charges of extortion or threats toward another person.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said their investigation began on Oct. 12 into antisemitic death threats made on X by a user with the handle @zionistarescum, known as Klaus.
The FDLE said that the threats were directed at Laura Loomer, Joshua Benjamin Hammer, Seth Dillon and Karol Markowicz between Oct. 8 and 10.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the posts included repeated violent threats, such as calls for hanging, public beatings, and explicit demands for killing, along with antisemitic slurs and accusations alleging that the victims were Israeli agents or conspirators.
Some of the posts reportedly included statements like, “@josh_hammer – Americans are gonna hang you in public and take turns beating your lifeless body with a piñata stick, you lifeless traitor.” Another post reportedly stated, “@LauraLoomer – You’re gonna get hung from the Smithsonian, Mossad Agent.”
On Oct. 13, FDLE said that they obtained data from X showing that the account and associated email were created on Sept. 15, which included IP login information and AT&T addresses.
Through the IP records, agents were able to trace the posts to a home in Spring, Texas, and identified the suspect.
WPEC-CBS12 is a news partner of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
