New Mexico man charged after threatening school shooting; weapon seized

A New Mexico man is facing federal charges after authorities investigated a social media post threatening a school shooting, according to prosecutors. Authorities said the suspect was in possession of a firearm and armor-piercing ammunition.

The investigation began last week after the FBI received an emergency disclosure from TikTok regarding a comment posted during a livestream in which a user threatened to “shoot up a school” and kill children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.

Investigators traced the threat to a residence in Las Cruces linked to 25-year-old Dion Lee Torres through account records and IP address data.

Officers with the Las Cruces Police Department responded to the residence, where they observed Torres smoking marijuana and learned he had access to a firearm, according to prosecutors.

Authorities obtained an Extreme Risk Firearms Protection Order based on concerns of imminent violence and seized a loaded firearm, three fully loaded magazines, and additional ammunition, including armor-piercing rounds.

Federal prosecutors said Torres is charged with possession of a firearm by a person who is addicted to or an unlawful user of a controlled substance. He remains in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Las Cruces is a city in southern New Mexico, located near the Texas border and about 45 miles north of El Paso, Texas.