A North Little Rock man accused of threatening a mass shooting online pleaded innocent Tuesday to a felony charge of making a terroristic threat.
Assistant City Attorney Paula Jones, sitting as a special judge in District Court, ordered Anthony Paul Stewart, 20, to be held without bail at the Pulaski County jail. Relatives of Stewart said at Tuesday's court hearing that he is mentally ill and needs treatment, but they were unsure how to provide that.
"I feel like I've tried every avenue," said Nancy Stewart, his grandmother.
According to a police affidavit, Anthony Stewart wrote Sunday on the social networking site Meet Me: "Before I die I wanna do a mass shooting. Break the record."
Investigators, using information released by the website, found and arrested Stewart at his grandmother's home at 4524 Frank St. shortly before noon Monday. Police spokesman Sgt. Brian Dedrick said in a news release that Stewart "admitted to writing the post and having thoughts of carrying out the threat, but had no specific target in mind."
Police detective Michael Gibbons, speaking in court Tuesday, said Stewart is an unemployed retail and construction worker who didn't finish high school and is "homeless, for the most part." Gibbons said Stewart is estranged from most of his family, but his grandmother allows him to sleep on her porch at night. She won't let him inside while she's asleep because she's concerned about safety, according to Gibbons.
Stewart, after being arrested, told police he has suicidal and homicidal thoughts, Gibbons said.
The affidavit states it isn't the first threat police have looked into involving Stewart.
In December 2009, when Stewart was a teenager, he was suspected of posting online about killing teachers, according to the affidavit. A police report was filed, but further details weren't available Tuesday.
Court records show Stewart has no adult criminal record.
Metro on 10/21/2015