Austin/ Crime & Emergencies
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Published on December 01, 2023
Florida Man Cuffed for Alleged Tesla Terror Threat at Cybertruck ExtravaganzaSource: Lcaa9, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A would-be mass shooter has been thwarted in Texas after threatening to wreak havoc at Tesla's Cybertruck event, according to officials. In a dramatic prelude to the much-anticipated truck delivery showcase, Paul Ryan Overeem, hailing from Orlando, was clapped in irons by the Travis County Sheriff's posse. Charged with concocting a terrorist threat, Overeem's Instagram bravado turned serious as he allegedly vowed to ignite carnage at the electric vehicle soiree, according to KVUE.

Trouble brewed after Overeem evidently powered his 2015 black Chevrolet Tahoe from the swamps of Florida to Austin, with the Travis County Sheriff's Office arresting him for allegedly planning to "shoot up" Thursday's Tesla event, reported by KVUE.

As luck would have it, tech and tenacity teamed up to track Overeem's movements. Following the digital breadcrumbs from his cell phone, Overeem pinged on Almarion Way in West Austin, with traffic cameras catching a glimpse of his Chevy Tahoe on Highway 290, as stated in KXAN

Locked away on a $300,000 bond, Overeem's alleged words paint a chilling portrait of a disturbed soul: "I plan on killing people," and "I wanna die," he purportedly messaged, extracted from court records. Let there be no doubt—threats to the public fabric are taken with the utmost gravity, and the swift action of all the law's men ensured the Cybertruck gala remained a celebration of progress, not a site of tragedy, as per KVUE.