Man arrested after alleged threat to “shoot up” Lake County Courthouse

An Ocala man was arrested Thursday afternoon after deputies said he threatened to bring a gun to the Lake County Courthouse and “shoot this place up” while court was in session and the building was open to the public, according to an arrest affidavit.The incident happened Nov. 5 at a courthouse where a Lake County sheriff’s deputy was working security. In the arrest affidavit, the deputy wrote that a person approached him around 1:15 p.m. and reported that a man in a black shirt with red or orange writing across the chest had made threatening statements.According to the affidavit, witnesses said the man walked toward courtroom while on the phone and said, “These guys think that they can intimidate me with their badges and guns. They need to stop trying me, I got a gun and badge, I will shoot this place up.”Both witnesses provided written statements.Deputies said the man had been at the courthouse earlier that day for a traffic citation hearing. The affidavit states he was disruptive in