Man threatened to kill hundreds of people, including a member of his family, cops say

Deputies say a man who threatened on social media to shoot hundreds of people, including a relative, has been taken into protective custody.

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release deputies were told Monday about multiple social media posts by Blake Dudkewic that “detailed violent crimes that Dudkewic planned to carry out.”

Dudkewic had posted a detailed account of how he wanted to kill his father to social media. Someone who knew Dudkewic and that he “suffered from various issues” saw the post and tried to message Dudkewic, encouraging him to get help or treatment, according to the news release. Minutes later, they called the sheriff’s office.

But Dudkewic replied with a message with a threat to kill hundreds of people, saying he purchased an AR-15 to use in a mass shooting, according to the sheriff’s office.

Posts from Dudkewic said his “rampage will kill more than 400 people...promise,” and that it would be a “devastating day for America,” with “the most deaths in the history” of the country, the news release stated.

Deputies were sent to the Hernando County home of Dudkewic’s father to check on him and all of Dudkewic’s previous addresses. They also reached out to other law enforcement agencies in case he was spotted.

Dudkewic’s father was found safe and told deputies this is not the first time his son has threatened him. The man said he has lost contact with his son because of the threats, according to the news release.

Deputies and Tampa police officers tried several times to find Dudkewic, but were not successful.

Around 4 a.m. Tuesday, Seminole Tribal Police detectives found Dudkewic’s vehicle in Tampa at the Camp Knox Motel on East Highway 92 and took Dudkewic into protective custody, according to the news release.

Deputies are working to get an warrant for Dudkewic’s arrest and say he will face a charge of written threats to kill.

This story was originally published October 3, 2018 at 8:34 AM with the headline "Man threatened to kill hundreds of people, including a member of his family, cops say."