SHOOTING THREAT SURE WAY TO GET ARRESTED
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Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced the arrest of Shane Steele, 42, of Lakewood. Steele is charged with one (1) count of Terroristic Threats, in reference to a Mass Shooting threat that he allegedly posted on Facebook. Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kristin Pressman reviewed the investigative evidence and approved the above charge. Steele was released on a summons to answer the charge at a future date.
Det. Raymond Coles of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU) arrested Steele this past Friday (3/9). The investigation stemmed from a civilian referral to the Manalapan Police Department on February 19, 2018, reporting that Steele allegedly authored a post on Facebook stating his intend to open fire with a machine gun at a “March For Our Lives” rally calling for stricter gun laws.
The investigation determined that Steele resided in the township of Lakewood at the time of the posting. An extensive search of Steele’s residence was conducted which proved negative for any firearms. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation including personnel from The Lakewood Police Department, Toms River Police Department, Manalapan Police Department, South Brunswick Police Department, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
The media and the public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.