A 17-year-old was arrested in connection with a threatening social media video posted last week and several arson investigations, Fort Worth police announced Tuesday.
Police became aware of the threatening video around 7:30 a.m. Jan. 6. and said it was believed to have originated outside the U.S. with the intent to incite fear, according to a previous statement.
Police said a similar message was received earlier the same day by a neighboring police department, though they didn’t specify which one.
The video depicted someone wearing a hockey mask and holding a gun while delivering threats of mass violence. It was posted by FortWorth Texas TV on its Instagram account, which said the video was sent by an anonymous source.
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As police continued to investigate the social media activity, they found additional threatening messages and videos, including a video of Crowley Middle School.
Police didn’t say what was in the video of the middle school.
Through interviews and evidence processing, investigators determined that Evan Banda, 17, was responsible for the video of the school and tied him to what police described as an extremist hate organization.
Fort Worth police and arson investigators also determined the video from Jan. 6 was linked to several videos connected to arson incidents.
Officers arrested Banda on Jan. 8. As of Tuesday afternoon, he remains in the Tarrant County Lon Evans Corrections Center with bail set at $1.9 million, according to jail records.
He faces charges of terrorism, terroristic threat impairing public services and inciting fear of serious bodily injury, possession of child pornography and arson.
Police did not say which extremist organization Banda is involved in.
Police said they would continue to investigate.