EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Deming man accused of making threats against public officials that shut down two courts in Luna County earlier this summer will be held until trial, the Deming District Attorney’s Office.
Stephen McKinley is being held on two counts of making a shooting threat toward public officials that were posted on his Facebook page, the District Attorney’s Office said.
On July 9, the Luna County District Court, Luna County Magistrate Court and the Luna County Administration Office were all closed due to a shooting threat, the District Attorney’s Office said.
The investigation led to a social media posting showing the suspect, McKinley, using threatening language directed at a captain with the Luna County Sheriff’s Department and the Luna County manager.
District Attorney Office’s investigation staff contacted Meta Platforms, Inc. to conduct an automated search into the Facebook records and were able to issue a search warrant for the online data and the suspect McKinley’s social media site. T
The posts began in May of this year, showing an escalating number of posts in the middle of June until prior to McKinley’s arrest.
At the pre-trial detention hearing, an attorney with the DA’s Office described to the court how the threat disrupted police agency operations, required enhanced security measures at the District and Magistrate courts and all administrative offices, necessitated additional security measures for court staff and “left a lingering sense of diminished safety just because of their position as public officials,” the DA’s Office said.
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