‘Mass casualty event’ halted after man makes threats toward Tesla event, report says
KXAN AustinDec 02, 2023
Texas Police have arrested a 28-year-old Florida man for allegedly threatening to commit a "mass casualty" attack at Tesla headquarters in Austin during a Cybertruck delivery event attended by CEO Elon Musk on Thursday.
Paul Ryan Overeem was taken into custody on Wednesday by the Travis County Sheriff's Office after he was spotted on traffic cameras driving from Florida to Austin.
Authorities thwarted what could have been a mass casualty attack. The fact that Overeem made these threats online and then substantiated them by making the trek from Orlando to Austin is extremely alarming. Thankfully, the Travis County sheriffs apprehended him before he could act on his threats.
There are ways in which digital life has ill-served some Americans. An increase in news-related stress and media saturation overload has led to a huge explosion in the number of people struggling with Internet addiction. Overeem's mental health must be taken into account before vilifying him.