A 59-year-old Fruitport man who made terrorist threats in court has been charged with domestic terrorism.
Daniel Callahan is facing charges of false reports or threats of terrorism and using a computer to commit a crime. Both offenses are 20-year felonies.
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“These are serious charges based on serious threats,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Anyone who threatens or tries to intimidate government officials or public bodies will be held accountable. My office will continue to respond to these types of threats wherever they occur.”
The charges stem from Callahan’s alleged comments during oral arguments in another case on Feb. 15 while appearing in a Grand Rapids court for a separate when he allegedly asked:
“What is it going to take, somebody to get shot before the state acts on it.”
The 59-year-old allegedly filed a pleading in the same case, saying that if the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court did not act lawfully and grant his requested relief, they and other entities would earn a “Future Performance Award for MSU Stage Act 2, West Michigan 2023.”
Court employees took what he said as a threat to commit a mass shooting similar to the one on the campus of Michigan State University 10 days prior.
After the charges were filed, Callahan turned himself in at the 61st District Court on a $5,000 bond with a GPS tracker.
Callahan was arrested Saturday (March 4) for making a false report or threat of terrorism and computers, a maximum 20-year felony, and using a computer to commit a maximum 20-year felony.