Former member of Colorado's Crossroads Church accused of sending threatening messages, "Maybe today the bomb goes off"

A former member of the Crossroads Community Church in Parker, Colorado, is facing a series of charges in the aftermath of nearly a month of mysterious threats. Patrick Sparks is accused of false report of explosives, weapons, or harmful substances, stalking, menacing and harassment, as well as false reporting of an emergency.

Sparks, 27, was a member of the church until he was asked to leave about six months ago, said Lead Pastor John Snyder. Sparks had been on the church's volunteer public safety team. But there was an odd series of communications, including email. One was accusatory, reading, "Ignore…me…and other…actual victims, unseen," Sparks seemed to complain to the pastor.  

Threatening messages began in mid-August. They came from various accounts listed under different names, not Sparks.

"Somebody that I know told me that is a bomb in your church today," said one of the messages. Other messages arrived during some services in which messages are posted. One during a baptism, "Maybe today the bomb goes off," wrote the poster amid the celebration.

The church contacted the police early on. Some of the Parker Police Department's members attend Crossroads. The threats were taken seriously right away.

"They brought in the FBI to help with that. They came and swept the building as the case progressed and as it went from bomb threats to two life threats," said Snyder. At one point, the church had to be evacuated toward the end of one Sunday service.

There were not only bomb threats, but allegations and false postings, said the church.

"The homosexual lead paster couple, who greeted me at the doors, made me feel very welcome… Praise Jesus Christ," wrote someone in a Google review. It was later pulled down. Snyder said Sparks had previously staked a different position on homosexuality from the church. Some of the messages sent used a variety of names; at one point, Snyder was addressed as "Mahmood."

"Mahmood, aka John Snyder, will die this week," and "You will die this week. On stage, to be pretty," were threats directed toward Snyder.

"Even when this was going on, I felt like these were empty threats that were meant to disrupt what God was doing here; even when there were threats against my life, my inclination, my personality is fight, not flight. No one's going to keep me away," said Snyder. He feared for the church and his family.

"My wife was deeply impacted by this. I mean, she didn't want me to walk out of the front door at nighttime… She didn't want to be home alone at night. And that was just in my household. Then there's a whole church full of people who have little children," said Snyder.

Police tracked the email accounts first to at least one man whose name was used, but they had no idea of the emails or threats. Later, they were able to consider Sparks as the source after being made aware of the emails at the time of his departure from the church, which were from his own account.

"He just was a very angry person and for some reason focused that anger on me and this institution, this church," said Snyder.

Police not only tracked down the email and account connections according to an affidavit, but an off-duty officer working security spotted Sparks outside the church during one Saturday evening service. Parker officers later went to Sparks' home and issued a trespassing notice.

"The police presence, the way the Parker Police Department handled it, the public safety team we have. I feel incredibly secure when I was here," said Snyder.

The threats came before last weekend's violent attack at an LDS church in Michigan. But the latest church attack has many people thinking about it. The pastor points out that there are about 300,000 churches in America. The number of attacks he noted is "Actually a very, very small amount. But we still need to do all we can to be vigilant to protect our people and make sure they are safe."

Police had enough information to seek a warrant for Sparks' arrest on Sept. 20. The pastor says police told him they found a gun at Sparks' home. Sparks is being held on a $250,000 bond.

"When threats of this kind are made," messaged District Attorney George Brauchler, "the faster the public can report them to law enforcement, the more likely we will be able to quickly and safely address them. When in doubt, call."

As services resumed following the arrest, Snyder asked his church members to pray for the suspect.

"We want to see his soul redeemed, not destroyed through this," he told CBS Colorado.