Press Release
Cuyahoga Falls man charged after making threats to shoot up church and casino
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio
The Cleveland Division of the FBI, The United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District and the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department announce the arrest of a Cuyahoga Falls man charged with interstate threatening communications and destruction of evidence.
Wei Li, 28, texted his estranged wife on November 6, 2017 multiple times threatening to kill her and to shoot up a Las Vegas hotel and casino. Li also referenced conducting a mass shooting at a church with at least 1,000 people in attendance. Li indicated in the text messaging that the killing he planned to commit would go down in history and that he would blame his wife for all the deaths. Li’s wife was employed at a Las Vegas casino at the time of the text.
On November 10, 2017, during a joint interview with FBI agents and Cuyahoga Falls Police Detectives, Li was asked to unlock his phone. He complied but proceeded to delete a string of text messages. Li was immediately arrested and placed in local custody.
This morning, Li was transferred into federal custody. He will have his initial appearance in U.S. Magistrate Judge George Limbert’s courtroom today, Thursday, November 16, 2017, at 9a.m.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Contact
Mike Tobin
216.622.3651
michael.tobin@usdoj.gov
Updated November 16, 2017
Topic
Violent Crime
Component