PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Palm Beach Gardens man is accused of making online threats targeting churches, including specifically mentioning one house of worship located near where he lived.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Michael Iaboni, 32, was arrested Saturday after receiving an anonymous tip from Crime Stoppers.
The tip said that after Iaboni was recently fired from his job, he had been posting concerning videos on social media.
Investigators said one of the videos was posted on Nov. 4, but later deleted, and showed Iaboni saying that he was "fired up" and it was "all kill shot."
The affidavit said the video also showed Iaboni holding up his hands pretending to hold up a rifle toward the camera and making two "pew" sounds, mimicking the sound of a firearm shooting.
Iaboni then said he planned to target "mega churches" and others that "are and could potentially be dangerous," according to the affidavit.
"Christ Fellowship is on my list to hit also," the arrest report said. "My end game is taking you out. ... It's not necessarily the people that are yelling that you need to be worried about, it's the quiet ones. It's the ones that no longer fear death. I expect death to come fast and very violent. Hopefully I go out fast."
The affidavit said Iaboni made another threatening post on Nov. 7, where he said it was "gonna look like a genocide."
The arrest report said that they believed that Iaboni possessed firearms, and in 2023 was stopped by Florida Fish and Wildlife police, where they confronted him about discharging a firearm in a public place.
Officials said that Christ Fellowship was having a large volunteer event on Nov. 9 and expected an additional 1,000 people at the church, in addition to their normal congregation.
The report said that Iaboni lived about 1.5 miles from Christ Fellowship and, on Nov. 2, signed up for an event to learn more about the church. The affidavit said that church staff later notified Palm Beach Gardens police about Iaboni "frequenting the Church lately."
Iaboni faces a charge of written threats to kill or do bodily harm, which includes threats of a mass shooting or a terrorism threat.
Online jail records show that Iaboni is being held on a $250,000 bond.
