Man pleads guilty to making up threats after fantasy football dispute
A man from Philadelphia has confessed to lying about another individual from his fantasy football league, claiming he was intending to carry out a mass shooting in Norway. This false report led to extensive investigations by both U.S. and Norwegian authorities, taking up hundreds of hours, according to federal prosecutors on Wednesday.
The situation involving Matthew Gabriel, 25, highlights a larger trend: each year, thousands of misleading calls and online messages in the U.S. report alleged intentions to commit shootings in schools, plant bombs, or randomly kill people.
Prosecutors note that a smaller group within these false allegations includes individuals like Gabriel, who falsely accuse others to make it seem as though a violent act is imminent.
In August of last year, Gabriel anonymously tipped off the Norwegian Police Security Service, stating that a man was heading to Oslo with malicious intent, according to prosecutors.
“He has a shooting planned with multiple accomplices,” Gabriel wrote in the tip, as detailed in federal court documents. “They aim to take down as many people as possible at a concert and then go to a department store. I just can’t bear the thought of innocent people dying because of this.”
However, the individual traveling to Norway was completely harmless and had no sinister plots, according to court documents.
Gabriel’s false allegation stemmed from an “online argument with a member of his fantasy football group,” the documents reveal. He reached out to Norwegian authorities after finding out that this group member was studying abroad in Norway.
Gabriel faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and is due for sentencing in January, as per court records.
Another threat directed at college campus after FBI contact
Federal prosecutors indicated that Gabriel’s initial false threat targeted the Norwegian authorities, naming the individual he had an issue with in the fantasy football league. He selected Norway upon learning that this member was going to study there in August 2023.
Bodies from both Norway and the U.S. spent five days looking into this threat. During an FBI interview, Gabriel confessed to submitting and fabricating the tip, prosecutors reported.
Later, on March 22 of this year, Gabriel sent an email to the University of Iowa while impersonating someone else, with the subject “Possible Threat.” The email, as outlined in court documents, stated:
Hello, I saw this in a group chat I’m in and just want to make sure everyone is safe and fine. I don’t want anything bad to happen to anybody. Thank you. A man named [PERSON 1] from I believe Nebraska sent this, and I want to ensure it’s a joke and that no one will get hurt.
Jacqueline C. Romero, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, stated: “While already facing prosecution for one hoax threat related to his fantasy football league, inexplicably, Matthew Gabriel decided to create another.”
Nation grapples with a surge in false violent threats
Romero urged “keyboard warriors” to pause before making online statements about violent threats. She emphasized that Gabriel’s actions caused significant confusion and diverted law enforcement from genuine investigations.
“Hoax threats aren’t a joke or free speech; they are criminal acts,” she remarked. “My advice to those who want to avoid federal charges: always consider the possible repercussions before you hit ‘post’ or ‘send.’”
This alarming disruption is evident in Springfield, Ohio, where numerous bomb and shooting threats have been reported in schools, universities, and city administration buildings. These threats escalated after former President Donald Trump and his political ally, Ohio Senator JD Vance, spread false claims about Haitian immigrants harming animals.
Residents of Springfield and members of the Haitian community have implored Trump, Vance, and others to retract these erroneous statements. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, condemned the rumors as “garbage” on Sunday.
“These are positive contributors to our community in Springfield, and any negative commentary about that is damaging and unhelpful to the people here,” he expressed.
In Florida, a sheriff has taken to publicly sharing photos and conducting “perp walks” of students who initiate mass shooting hoaxes. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced this in response to over 54 tips regarding school threats received through Fortify Florida, an app designed for confidential reporting of suspicious behavior.
Law enforcement in Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas have all documented having to investigate hoaxes and prosecute students for creating them, notably following a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia that left four individuals dead.
Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy of Everytown for Gun Safety, previously informed YSL News that evaluating the credibility of a school shooting threat hinges on whether the individual has access to firearms. He added that if access is not present, it is merely “bluster.”
For further inquiries, contact reporter Krystal Nurse on X, previously known as Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.