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30-year-old man arrested for making threats against Brookfield Square Mall on Facebook

Posted at 10:14 AM, Jun 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-05 18:55:36-04
MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee man is behind bars, accused of posting to Facebook he wanted to shoot and kill people at Brookfield Square Mall.

The suspect told police his idea was based on the recent London terrorist attacks.

Now, 30-year-old Everett Hembrook is charged with making terrorist threats.

The 30-year-old told investigators he made the threats to hurt people at the mall to get back at his ex-girlfriend who has a restraining order against him.

When investigators caught up with Hembrook this weekend, he told them he got the idea to make threats, "...from all the stuff going on overseas," according to court records.

Hembrook confirmed to investigators he meant the terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom.

If convicted of the felony charge, he could face up to three and a half years in prison. 

The Waukesha County District Attorney's Office is now leading the investigation in this case. Brookfield Square Mall sent the following statement about the incident to TODAY'S TMJ4:

We’d like to thank the City of Brookfield Police Department for their quick investigation and arrest of the individual responsible for the threat made to the center.

There was an increased security and police presence at the center yesterday due to the threat. As a result of the quick work of local authorities, we are returning to our standard operating procedures today. We will continue to work with authorities and evaluate our security protocol on an ongoing basis, making adjustments as necessary.

The suspect was not employed at the mall.