The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of a North Fort Myers man who allegedly posted death threats on YouTube targeting Muslims.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified by the FBI on Jan. 2 about online comments that included violent threats against a religious group. The posts, which included statements calling for violence against Muslims and references to killing and shooting them, were reportedly traced to a 55-year-old North Fort Myers man. The man was arrested and later expressed remorse for the comments. Authorities said a thorough investigation was conducted and no specific attack plan or imminent threat was identified.
WATCH: North Fort Myers man accused of posting Islamophobic threats on YouTube
SEE: Florida man accused of posting Islamophobic threats on YouTube
In a statement, CAIR-FL Communications Director Wilfredo Ruiz said:
“We welcome the swift action taken by law enforcement authorities as soon as a potential threat was detected. As anti-Muslim bigotry continues to be pushed and promoted by prominent public figures and politics and media and privileged by social media algorithms, the risk of violence increases. Every possible threat must be taken seriously.”
Last year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz, (305) 502-6749, wruiz@cair.com; Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR Communications Director, ihooper@cair.com. (202) 744-7726