A California man was arrested and charged for making threats against Merriam-Webster, Inc.
According to the complaint, between October 2 and October 8, 2021, the defendant made a series of threatening messages and comments. The threats corresponded to the word entries for “Girl” and “Woman.” The threats led Merriam-Webster to close its offices in Springfield, Massachusetts and New York City for about five days.
The complaint says that on October 2, 2021, the defendant began posting threatening comments. Comments suggested that Merriam-Webster’s “headquarters should be shot up and bombed.” On October 8, 2021, he posted another comment on the dictionary’s website threatening to bomb their offices.
The same online user made similar threats to several others, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Land O’ Lakes, Hasbro, Inc., IGN Entertainment, the President of the University of North Texas, two professors at Loyola Marymount University, and a New York rabbi.
Charges contained in a criminal complaint are serious. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/california-man-arrested-and-charged-making-threats-against-lgbtq-community