USA/FILE: The New York Police Department is investigating Twitter messages which threatened to kill audience members during Mike Tyson's one man show in New York City

Record ID: 702255

  • Title: USA/FILE: The New York Police Department is investigating Twitter messages which threatened to kill audience members during Mike Tyson's one man show in New York City
  • Date: 7th August 2012
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 02, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF LONGACRE THEATER (3 SHOTS) VARIOUS SHOTS OF MIKE TYSON BACKSTAGE AT THE LONGACRE THEATER POSING WITH SPIKE LEE
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Uruguay
  • Country: Uruguay
  • Topics: Arts
  • Reuters ID: LVAEONU067C2UPUVKDMDJD6G8HRP
  • Story Text: The New York Police department said it was investigating a series of Twitter messages sent by user "@Obamasmistress" threatening a mass shooting during Mike Tyson's Broadway performance at the Longacre Theater. The account is no longer active.
    The NYPD said in a written statement that it learned of the tweets on August 3. Several tweets were sent in late July and in early August, with the last message reportedly sent on August 4.
    According to ABC News, one tweet that was posted on August 1st, read, "This s**t ain't no joke yo I'm serious people are gonna die just like in aurora." The message was referring to a deadly shooting that took place in Colorado on July 20th, killing 12 movie-goers and wounding 58 more.
    CBS reported that an additional tweet read, "I might just shoot up this theater in New York," with another reading, "I got 600 people on my hit list and that's gonna be a mass murder for real."
    The Twitter account holder reportedly had a celebrity hit list and was known for their threatening tweets.
    The NYPD said it had issued a subpoena to the social media company in an effort to find out who was behind the messages. They say the move comes after Twitter refused to hand over the users profile information.
    The NYPD said in a written statement that it takes the threats seriously and that it had dispatched police officers to the Longacre Theater.
    Mike Tyson and the show's producers have so far made no comment on the incident.
    The former heavyweight boxing champ is making his Broadway debut in the one-man show about his life, 'Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth."
    The 12-show run is scheduled to end on August 12.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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