A man in Tennessee was arrested Monday following allegations that he made “threats of mass violence” by posting a meme in a Facebook group organizing a vigil for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The individual, Larry Bushart Jr., a 61‑year‑old former police officer, shared an image of President Donald Trump paired with a quote from Trump in the aftermath of a 2024 school shooting: “We have to get over it.”
Members of the Facebook group interpreted Bushart’s post as if it referenced their own local high school, named Perry County High School, and viewed it as a potential threat toward their community. Investigators assert that Bushart was fully aware the meme would alarm people and intentionally sought to sow panic locally. The Perry County Sheriff, Nick Weems, said that the post created real fear among teachers, parents, and students, prompting the arrest.
Bushart was taken into custody early that morning and is facing charges under state law for making threats of mass violence on school property or in connection with school‑related activities. He is currently being held at the Perry County Sheriff’s Office on bond.
The sheriff’s office emphasized its zero‑tolerance approach to any suggestion of school violence: every claimed threat is investigated and prosecuted when evidence supports it. Meanwhile, the meme Bushart used is one that has circulated widely, often cited in anti‑Trump or gun violence awareness contexts, and he reportedly also posted other “hate memes” invoking Kirk’s death—though authorities have said those did not cross the legal threshold for criminal charges given protections for free speech.
Bushart’s arrest follows a broader pattern of legal and social consequences arising from the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Across several states, people have been arrested or disciplined for remarks seen as celebrating or condoning the killing. In the case of Bushart, law enforcement said that because his post seemed to reference a local school, it elevated the meme from provocative commentary to a potentially dangerous threat in the eyes of the community.
Kirk, co‑founder of the organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at a college campus. The suspected shooter is in custody and faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT
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