Scott Hanna, a 30-year-old resident of Dayton, Ohio, was arrested by the FBI on federal charges after posting a violent threat on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), vowing to organize mobs to kill 30,000 Black people in Cincinnati by Sunday.
The threat, made on July 31, called for “painting the town red” and “cleansing” the city of its Black population, estimated at around 120,000.
The Cincinnati Police Department alerted the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force after screenshots of the post were reported.
Through coordinated investigations involving X, Google, and telecommunications data, the FBI traced the threatening post to Hanna.
The affidavit also revealed a prior violent incident last year in which Hanna allegedly swung a full-sized sword at a woman’s neck, causing serious injury and partial decapitation.
During that incident, he also used racial slurs against responding officers.
Hanna was charged with making an interstate communication containing a threat to injure, a federal offense punishable by up to five years in prison.
His initial court appearance took place in Dayton, where prosecutors requested that he remain detained pending trial, citing concerns about the danger he poses.
FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola stated that the bureau aggressively investigates threats of violence targeting communities, emphasizing the seriousness of Hanna’s actions and the consequences such threats carry.
The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
