WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeffrey Jay Pratt, 39, of West Palm Beach, was arrested May 21, 2026, following a two-day investigation by the West Palm Beach Police Department. He faces charges for written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism.
The threatening messages were sent to the city's 911 emergency system from a phone number later traced to Pratt. The first message arrived at approximately 9:27 a.m. on May 19, 2026. Additional messages followed, including one that read:
"THE PEOPLE FROM DOWNTOWN HAVE TO DIE FROM MARLOGO FOR KILLING DWAYNE SMALL"
The West Palm Beach Police Department's Strategic Intelligence Center, known as STIC, led the investigation, working with Detective R. Secord. Investigators obtained emergency disclosure records from T-Mobile, which provided location data and device information tied to phone registered to the carrier.
Video surveillance captured Pratt using his phone while walking on Douglas Avenue during the time the threatening messages were sent. Officers located and detained him on Thursday.
During a post-Miranda interview, Pratt admitted ownership of the Motorola device used to send the threats, identified himself in surveillance footage, and confessed to sending the threatening communications to 911. He also provided consent for police to search his phone.
The department treated the threats as credible due to their explicit nature and references to specific locations. Officials emphasized that threats made to emergency communication systems are taken seriously and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Pratt is scheduled to appear in court on June 30, 2026.
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