A Texas man was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison after he threatened a mass shooting during an NFL game in Pittsburgh.
Authorities said Yuttana Choochongkol, 40, of San Antonio made three emailed threats against Pittsburgh Steelers players and fans earlier this year. He pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening interstate communications in July.
Choochongkol sent the threats to KDKA-TV and Heinz Field on Jan. 10 and 11 by using their websites' contact forms, according to a criminal complaint. The Texas man specifically referenced the Jan. 14 game at the stadium.
One message used an email address and name referring to killing Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, while another talked about packing an "uzi with many clips" under his winter clothes.
FBI agents tracked Choochongkol's IP address to San Antonio, where he was arrested on Jan. 12.
The game he threatened to shoot up was the AFC Divisional Round game between the Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, projected to have about 68,000 attendees, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said.
"Threats of mass violence cannot be tolerated and will be aggressively prosecuted," Brady said in July. "Nothing is more important than ensuring the safety of the community, including large public events such as Steelers games."
