Stephanie Keith
FBI agents investigating a series of anonymous bomb threats sent to individuals, schools, and businesses across the country over the last six months believe the emails may originate in Africa, according to a police detective briefed on the case.
Detective Robert Onishi, of the Renton Police Department in Washington, is the lead investigator on an emailed threat that claimed bombs had been placed at the Brewmaster’s Taproom, a local Renton business, and the owner’s home, on Aug. 12. That threat led to the business being forced to cancel a planned Drag Queen Story Hour. Threats were also sent the same day to other businesses, including a boutique in Peekskill, New York.
Onishi was briefed by a local FBI agent on the ongoing investigation into the threats, he says. He was told the communications have been traced back to an IP address registered with AFRINIC, the regional internet registry for Africa. The feds have also identified the type of phone the emails are being sent from, an Android device that is mainly marketed in Africa and Southeast Asia, Onishi said.