LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Police say Michael Mickowski made threats in a video game chat room promising to buy a gun and shoot everyone he could, including young children at schools in Las Vegas.
Mickowski has been jailed for more than a week now, unable to make his $150,000 bail. The gamer had been living with his mother in Las Vegas at an apartment in the northeast, according to public records.
"I'm shocked that this is happening right here," said Clara Flores, who lives in the area. "Wow, that's disturbing," she said, reacting to Mickowski's alleged comments.
According to an arrest report obtained by 13 Action News, Mickowski had written disturbing messages in a videogame chat room: "Somebody, when I have enough money to buy a gun and some ammunition, I will shoot up a school where I live," was one post.
Mickowski is facing a terrorism charge.
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Mickowski also wrote “other dark statements,” according to the arrest report, including: “Promise, watch me blow the head off a 5-year-old with a 12-gauge shotgun.”
Police noted in the report that there are 18 elementary schools within a 2-mile radius of Mickowski’s residence and that it was “only due to a lack of money that a mass casualty, active shooter event has not occurred at the hands of Mickowski.”
The arrest report reveals that Mickowski was playing Heroes of the Storm. The video game company, Blizzard, notified police and soon authorities had traced the player's IP address, finding the 26-year-old at his mother's apartment, where he had been residing.
Gamers participating in a tournament at Press Start Gaming Center on Tropicana Avenue near Spencer Street reacted to the news.
"Everyone in this venue would immediately report it," said Quillen Woolford, adding that in his experience, "There's not too much concern about the heinous comments anyways because of how fast we act upon it."
Javier Rivera also said, "There's definitely things put in place to report these people."
"If it's somebody being that specific, that is some alarm that's set off," Rivera told 13 Action News.
Once authorities tracked down Mickowski, he told police that he does make "bombastic statements," according to the arrest report and was "evasive and non-specific" and wanted to speak with an attorney.
