Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- January 22, 2018
- Targets
- CNN
A man in Michigan was arrested by the FBI and accused of threatening to murder CNN employees, Atlanta news station WGCL-TV reported on Jan. 22, 2018.
The man allegedly made 22 threatening calls to CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 9 and 10, according to an unsealed criminal complaint.
“Fake news. I’m coming to gun you down,” the man allegedly said during one call.
“I have a gun and I am coming to Georgia right now to go to the CNN headquarters to fucking gun every single last one of you,” he allegedly said during another call. “I have a team of people. It’s going to be great, man ... You gotta get prepared for this one, buddy.”
The FBI arrested Brian Griesemer, and he was charged in connection with the threats against CNN employees. He was also accused of making threats against a mosque in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“We take any threats to CNN employees or workplaces, around the world, extremely seriously,” CNN said in a statement. “This one is no exception. We have been in touch with local and federal law enforcement throughout, and have taken all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our people.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly targeted CNN, referring to the network and its journalists as “fake news” and even re-tweeting memes that made light of threats of violence against CNN reporters.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
