A potential massacre at a Christian high school in Nebraska was thwarted thanks to the swift action taken by school officials and the Nebraska State Patrol.Columbus Catholic Schools, a unified educational system that serves over 850 students in Nebraska, received a message on June 26 threatening Scotus Central Catholic, a Christ-centered high school in Columbus.’The heated political rhetoric that too often leads to radicalization and violence must cool off.’Jeff Ohnoutka, the executive director of CCS, said in a statement on Friday that after he was made aware of the “disturbing threat,” he immediately brought it to the attention of the NSP and the Columbus Police Department.According to the NSP, the message “included a threat of violence to the school and Governor Pillen’s family.”Republican Governor Jim Pillen and his wife, Suzanne, have four children and seven grandchildren. The family is Roman Catholic.In a post under the name “Bobby McGee” on the Facebook page for Columbus Catholic Schools, 32-year-old homosexual Ean Halstead of Omaha allegedly wrote, “I’m going to shoot up this school and kill Jim Pillen’s children and a few nuns for (expletive) funsies,” reported WOWT-TV.RELATED: International pro-life leader assassinated at home Gov. Jim Pillen (R). Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty ImagesWithin hours of learning of the threat, authorities identified an apartment in Omaha that was linked to the IP address associated with the social media post.Authorities promptly made contact with Halstead outside an apartment complex on Bedford Avenue, but “the man refused commands from troopers, ran to the apartment, and barricaded himself inside,” said the NSP.Law enforcement on the scene — reinforced by NSP SWAT — obtained a search warrant for the residence as well as an arrest warrant and were able ultimately to coax the suspect out and into handcuffs without incident.Halstead was initially charged with obstructing a police officer and failure to obey a lawful order.Following further investigation and an examination of electronic items seized during a search of his residence, the NSP rearrested Halstead on July 17 and charged him with terroristic threats and destruction of evidence.Halstead is currently being held at the Douglas County Department of Corrections. The NSP told Blaze News that the investigation remains ongoing.According to court documents reviewed by the Plains Sentinel, Halstead has a “history of violent tendencies” and was previously slapped with a protection order from an ex-boyfriend for allegedly brandishing a knife and threatening to “kill him and their dogs while they slept.”WOWT reported that Halstead was convicted for threatening his ex-lover and setting his bedroom on fire while filming.Gov. Pillen’s chief of staff, Dave Lopez, said in a statement, “We are extremely grateful to the dedicated investigators of the Nebraska State Patrol and allied law enforcement agencies for their quick and thorough work to track down this individual and ensure the security of the First Family.””We have zero tolerance for political violence here in Nebraska, including threats to carry it out,” continued Lopez. “If you threaten violence against a public official or their family in this state, you will be found and held accountable. The heated political rhetoric that too often leads to radicalization and violence must cool off.”Ohnoutka thanked the NSP and Columbus Police Department “for their service to our state and the city of Columbus.””May God continue to bless Columbus Catholic Schools,” he added.Halstead’s threat comes nearly one year after a trans-identifying man formerly known as Robert Westman shot up a Catholic church full of schoolchildren in Minneapolis, injuring 23 and killing two kids, ages 8 and 10. The shooter, who committed suicide at the scene, left behind a mountain of evidence indicating that he was motivated by hatred for the Catholic Church and President Donald Trump.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
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