Tweet Threatens Heat Championship Parade
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - As the Miami Heat wrapped up its second consecutive NBA championship Thursday night, a Twitter account holder posted an ominous message, referencing the Boston Marathon bombing.
"What if what happened in boston at that marathon happened also at the miami heat parade. That'd be Soo cool," read a post, put up about 11:15 p.m. by a user whose name CBS4 News has chosen not to reveal.
The outrageous posting comes even as the April 15th bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line continues to reverberate through the nation's psyche.
A little after midnight Friday morning, the same upper and lower case-challenged user tweeted, "boston is gonna occur again so i've heard? championship parade monday at 11:00 a.m." A twisted Twitter joke?
Cops aren't laughing.
"As with all major events, we always get a threat here and there and we take every threat serious. Obviously we don't want a recurrence like a 9/11 or a Boston for that matter," Said Miami Police Sgt. Freddie Cruz.
The tweeter making sinister remarks about Monday's Heat parade has also posted anti-government tweets. One says "(expletive) immigration!" The reference to immigration enforcement agents comes with a photo of Border Patrol cars at a checkpoint. The user also has posts referencing "hate." There is racist language used as well.
The FBI issued a statement saying it is "looking at" the Twitter postings. FBI spokesperson, Special Agent Michael Leverock stressing "the importance of reporting suspicious activities" to authorities.
"If you see something, say something," the statement said, echoing what has become a slogan for homeland security efforts.
Miami Police said security for Monday's Heat parade will mirror that at last year's parade, and at the Mercedes Benz Corporate Run held in Miami just ten days after the bombing at the Boston Marathon.
"We have detectives in place, we have undercover officers, we are working closely with the FBI, and we will ensure that we have a safe and fun-filled event," said Miami's Sgt. Cruz.
Police say those who might be inclined to post threatening or intimidating messages on line need to be aware that, with today's technology, there is no such thing as Internet anonymity.
Of the tweets in advance of Monday's Heat parade, one long-time investigator told CBS4 News, "Multiple agencies will be - if they're not already - crawling all over this guy."
