Lakewood man accused of threatening to commit shootings and bombings at Denver FBI office and performing arts center
A Lakewood man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to go to an FBI field office in Denver and a performing arts center and "start shooting everyone I see."
Kyle Staebell was arrested while threatening his family before an arrest warrant for the alleged threats could be served, according to a federal criminal complaint affidavit. The affidavit doesn't list Staebell's age but says he was born in 1989, indicating he's 33 or 34. In a partially redacted email signature, he identifies himself as a "communications consultant."
The federal investigation stems from several threats Staebell allegedly made via Twitter and e-mail. He's accused of threatening to commit shootings and bombings at the FBI field office, a local Department of Homeland Security field office and a local performing arts center, the name of which, has been redacted.
Around 1 a.m. Monday, he allegedly e-mailed the FBI's tip line saying, in part, "Tomorrow I am going to walk up to the FBI offices and start shooting everyone I see and will throw explosives to kill as many of you [expletive] as possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1."
He goes on to say "I have explosives, automatic weapons, everything i need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1."
While he lives in Lakewood, according to the affidavit and other public records, the FBI says they traced the threat to an address in Evergreen, tied to a home owned by Staebell's family.
Throughout the day on Jan. 16, Staebell also allegedly tweeted the following: "I asked for help when the Nazis tried to kill me months ago, and it looks like today finally they are here to help! Government moves and thinks slow I guess, what can you do..? No handouts means not a finger of help for anyone!"
The Twitter account in question was created in October 2022.
A review of other tweets from the account linked to Staebell by the FBI shows him tweeting over the past few days about pedophiles, aliens, light energy, J.K. Rowling and horror movies, among other topics.
In a screenshot of a tweet that has apparently since been deleted, the FBI says Staebell tweeted, "They burned my career to the ground and ruined my life, I AM GOING TO KILL EVERY F****** ONE OF THEM AT THE FBI AND DHS OFFICES!!!!!!!!!!"
In addition to the alleged threats against those government agencies and offices, Staebell allegedly emailed threats of a mass shooting at a local performing arts center. The specific location is redacted from the affidavit, but the email, traced to the same IP address as the other alleged threats, has the subject line, "Mass Shooting Tomorrow!!!!!"
The body of the email reads, "Hello, tomorrow I am going to do a mass shooting and kill f****** everybody I see in the whole building. F*** you all!!!!!!!!!!"
In December 2022, a man matching Staebell's description allegedly circumvented security at the same performing arts center, getting into restricted parts of the building, including the backstage area.
Monday, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office got a disturbance call at Staebell's family's Evergreen home, with the caller saying Staebell got into an argument and threw a coffee mug and dirt. Deputies arrived and family members went outside. Staebell eventually came out, holding a laptop, cellphone, his passport and a jacket.
A paraphrased summary of his statements to deputies at the scene suggests he said something along the lines of "I'm right here. I've been waiting to talk with you guys. It was my girlfriend, she's with Mexico intelligence and she hacked my accounts and social media."
Deputies searched the Evergreen home and allegedly found what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail, an improvised incendiary device, according to the affidavit. An FBI bomb technician said the bottle used to make the device contained kerosene.
Staebell later admitted to the FBI that that was him in the performing arts center's security camera footage, saying, he "wanted to conduct an orchestra with a Harry Potter wand that he claimed he had found."
He went on to say that orchestra conductors use "witchcraft wands" to conduct orchestras, according to the affidavit.
Staebell denied that he made the threats, blaming them on an ex-girlfriend who he says he broke up with days earlier and was angry with him. He went on to say the apparent Molotov cocktail was not an explosive or incendiary device, but that it was filled with a mixture of alcohol, paint and glue, which he would sniff.
Staebell has been charged with communicating an interstate threat under, which says, "Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."
Attorney information and future court dates for Staebell were not immediately available.
