A Florida man found himself in handcuffs for allegedly threatening to shoot up a Publix grocery store over the lack of people wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic.
Robert Kovner, 62, of Sebring was arrested Tuesday night and booked for making a written threat of a mass shooting, which is a second-degree felony, according to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
“Earlier today, we were made aware of a Facebook post that threatened a mass shooting at Publix. The writer was upset that not enough people, in his opinion, are wearing masks when they are out and about,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Authorities said that all threats will be taken seriously during the pandemic despite tensions that have come with the state’s stay-at-home order.
“We realize these are stressful times, but there is no excuse for making threats like this. It’s not a joke. It’s not just a bad day. It’s a crime. We will ALWAYS take them seriously and you will go to jail,” the sheriff’s office said.
Kovner’s bond was set at $30,000.
Florida is one of the hardest-hit states and has more than 21,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with at least 570 deaths. The state was one of the last major states to implement a statewide stay-at-home order, with Gov. Ron DeSantis initially leaving coronavirus restrictions up to municipalities.
