Gamer Arrested for Walmart Mass Shooting Threat Over Hantavirus Fears

Aaron Keith Bynum, 20, was arrested and charged with terroristic threatening and harassing communications following an online threat to commit a mass shooting at a local Walmart. The threat, allegedly made in a multi-player online game on May 9, was linked to concerns about a potential lockdown amid a hantavirus outbreak. The FBI received a tip with an in-game recording of the threats, leading to Bynum's identification via a subpoena on May 11. The Marion County Sheriff's Office became involved on May 13, and Bynum was arrested on May 15 after investigators seized a computer from his home. This incident follows a recent outbreak of a rare, human-transmissible strain of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which resulted in three deaths and at least 10 cases. Separately, Colorado officials are investigating an adult's death from hantavirus, which is not related to the cruise ship outbreak. Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodents.