A Charles County man was arrested Wednesday after he threatened in a social media post to kill white residents of La Plata, Maryland, police say.
Carlos Anthony Hollins, 20, posted a violent message on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, according to the La Plata Police Department.
“IM NOT GONNA STAND FOR THIS NO. MORE. TONIGHT WE PURGE! KILL ALL THE WHITE PPL IN THE TOWN OF LA PLATA," police say a message posted to his account at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday said.
The tweet shared by police concluded with #BlackLivesMatter.
"Purge" is a reference to the "The Purge" film series. Both the original 2013 movie and its 2014 sequel depict a night when all crime is legal for 12 hours and no police, fire and medical services are available.
La Plata Police Chief Carl Schinner said panicked La Plata residents contacted police immediately.
"We took it very serious. In today's society where we're seeing mass shootings at schools and at malls and in churches, we have to take it serious," he said.
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Schinner sent more officers on patrol Wednesday evening, but traffic was noticeably light on streets and at local shopping centers, Schinner said.
"People were staying home -- they were scared," he said.
Police say Hollins published video online of himself standing behind the Charles County Sheriff's Office in Waldorf.
"It's good. Like, the tweet wasn't even that serious," he said as he laughed.
Hollins, of Waldorf, was arrested about 8:50 p.m. and charged with making a threat of mass destruction, which is a misdemeanor in Maryland. He is being held at Charles County Detention Center on $250,000 bond.
No one answered the door Thursday at the home where Hollins lives.
Neighbor Christopher King said he didn't take Hollins' words seriously.
"I think it was something he said without thinking it all the way through, playing around, and it went too far and got interpreted the wrong way," King said.
Hollins is due in court Friday and could face as much as one year in prison if convicted.
