A North Carolina man threatens Black preschoolers in online posts, prompting urgent FBI intervention to stop possible mass shooting
A white North Carolina man with hate in his heart and mass murder on his mind has been arrested after allegedly posting sickening threats online to gun down 20 Black preschoolers, the FBI says.
FBI SAYS HE WANTED TO “SHOOT UP A PRESCHOOL”
According to federal court documents and media reports, 25-year-old Zachary Charles Newell of Newport, North Carolina, was taken down after using the YouTube name “CommentatorsHateMe” to post vile threats about committing a racially-motivated school shooting.
In one of the disturbing messages posted on August 27, 2025, he wrote that he planned to “shoot up a preschool” and specifically aimed to kill 20 Black children. The very next day, he allegedly doubled down with another racist post under the same username.
This digital death wish caught the attention of Google, which quickly flagged it to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center on August 31. From there, it was a race against time.
FBI & SHERIFFS MOVE QUICK
Agents traced the username to Newell’s personal info — his email, phone number, and physical address. Working alongside the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI confronted Newell at his home. According to reports, he confessed to being the person behind the threats.
Deputies executed a search warrant and initially hit him with state charges for making threats of mass violence on educational property. Bond was set at $30,000, which Newell posted — but that didn’t keep him out of the feds’ reach.
North Carolina Man Threatens Black Preschoolers
He was immediately picked up by federal agents and hit with a federal charge on September 2: interstate threat to kidnap or injure another person.
FBI DIRECTOR: “WE WILL RESPOND WITH URGENCY”
FBI Director Kash Patel called the threats an “unacceptable act of cowardice”, praising his agents and local police for acting fast. “We will never hesitate to respond with urgency to protect children and our communities,” Patel said.
NO PRESCHOOL NAMED, NO ACTIVE THREAT
While the threats were terrifying, investigators say no specific preschool was named and there is currently no active threat to any schools in Carteret County.
