A West Texas man is under federal arrest after allegedly threatening to open fire at a Pride parade in Abilene as “pay back for Charlie Kirk.” Court records show 24-year-old Joshua Cole of Anson posted the threats on Facebook in the days following the conservative activist’s assassination.
According to prosecutors, Cole admitted to running the social media account where the threats were made and confirmed he owned a firearm. Investigators described the posts as specific and credible, noting they directly targeted participants in the Abilene Pride event.
Cole was taken into custody before the parade, which went forward as scheduled without incident. He is now facing federal charges tied to making threats of violence, and the case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas.
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