A former professional boxer, Azea Augustama, was arrested on Nov. 23 after he put money down on an AK-47 and threatened to commit a mass shooting at a gym in Miami, according to the Miami Police Department.
Augustama was charged with one count of threatening to kill and two counts of issuing written threats to commit a mass shooting. The gym he allegedly threatened was BOXR Gym in Miami where he had been a member for about four months. However, a screen shot of one of his Instagram posts captured by Miami TV station prior to it apparently being removed also names boxing gyms KO Zone, CKO Kickboxing, SobeKick and FitBox Method.
His membership at BOXR was revoked on Nov. 11 after an argument with a boxing coach who asked him to leave a space where a class was starting. Augustama allegedly challenged the coach to fight, but the coach declined.
“Something was off,” Mateo Attalla, the owner of BOXR, told CNN. “He was just acting a little funny and started acting aggressive.”
After his membership was revoked and he returned with police to get his belongings, he allegedly posted threats on his Instagram page.
Those threats were sent to the Violent Crimes unit of the Miami Police Department. That unit began tracking his Instagram page, which included images of the Parkland School shooter as well as serial killers Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy. It also includes a video of him at a pawn shop asking to buy an AK-47.
On Nov. 22, Augustama put a deposit on an AK-47, but he was unable to take the gun with him because he did not have a concealed weapons permit, Miami Detective Luddwidge Refuse told a Miami-Dade judge, according to an article in the Tampa Bay Times.
“If not for him (not) having a concealed weapons permit, I believe he would have purchased the firearm and could have carried out his threats,” Refuse said.
Miami Police Chief Manny Morales posted about the arrest on his Twitter page, saying: “Incredibly proud of our @MiamiPD team for their quick response and swift action that was taken regarding threats made about a mass shooting. We take these kind of threats seriously and will pursue the offender to all lengths to keep Miami safe!”
Augustama competed in the 2008 Olympics for Haiti as a light heavyweight boxer before turning professional. The charging document lists him as a personal trainer.
He is being held on a $3 million bond and house arrest if he is able to post bond.