San Antonio police say a 46-year-old man who allegedly vowed to “shoot up everyone” at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital is now in the Bexar County jail. Officers arrested William Blades Reed Jr. on Monday, and he faces a charge of making a terroristic threat. Before officers arrived, hospital staff moved Reed into an emergency room for evaluation, then turned him over to law enforcement so he could be processed into the county lockup.
Booking and records
Bexar County’s central magistrate listing shows William Blades Reed Jr. with booking number B202624331, confirming he was processed into the county jail, according to the public roster. Bexar County Central Magistrate lists Reed among recent arrests and indicates he was being held in custody pending review by a magistrate.
What police say
An SAPD officer who responded just after 3 p.m. Monday was told that VA police had received an email from a veterans case worker in Congressman Michael Cloud’s office, reporting that Reed had threatened to “shoot up” the hospital and take his own life, according to KSAT. The case worker said Reed had repeatedly called Cloud’s office to complain about hospital service and told investigators he “might come in there with a gun and shoot up everyone,” the SAPD report stated.
The case worker told VA police she believed Reed would carry out the threat, prompting the response from both VA officers and SAPD, according to the account described in the report and cited by KSAT. It was the kind of warning that no one working in health care wants to see land in their inbox.
About the Audie L. Murphy VA
The Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital is the main inpatient campus for South Texas Veterans Health Care System, located at 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard in San Antonio. The facility offers emergency and mental health services, along with a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and specialty-care programs, according to the VA facility page. The hospital serves thousands of veterans across the region.
Legal implications
Under Texas law, making a terroristic threat is defined in Penal Code §22.07. When threats are intended to place the public in fear or interrupt public services, prosecutors can pursue the charge as a third-degree felony, which carries a potential sentence of two to ten years in prison, according to the Texas statutes. Bexar County records listed a $75,000 bond for Reed while detectives continue to review the case, according to KSAT.
