ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Neighbors are reacting to the news that an 18-year-old from St. Johns County allegedly threatened to shoot up a vigil for the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
18-year-old Imayen Ekanem was arrested Sunday after allegedly posting a threatening message on her Snapchat account related to a vigil for Charlie Kirk. She is now charged with a felony count of written threats to kill or do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, according to a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
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Ekanem made the post after finishing her shift at Zaxby’s on Tyler’s Way.
According to the arrest report, Ekanem admitted to deputies that she made a post on her private Snapchat story “including a screenshot for a local St. Johns County vigil following the Charlie Kirk murder,” with text saying, “unt unt not on my bday” and “whoever goes is getting shot up.”
The post was viewed by an unknown number of Snapchat users, and it was reported to law enforcement, leading to Ekanem’s arrest, the report states. Ekanem was booked into the St. Johns County Jail with no bond set. She provided consent for a search of her cellphone, which was used to make the post, the report states.
The vigil for Kirk she was allegedly referring to was held at Veterans Park in St. Johns County on Sunday.
Action News Jax went to Ekanem’s house to see if anyone would speak with us, but when we knocked on the door, no one answered.
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“I think it’s really sad that we’ve come this far in our political perspective these days,” said Morris Mallory, who lives in St. Johns County.
Mallory lives in the same neighborhood as Ekanem. He tells Action News Jax that everything about this situation is sad.
“I understand differences, but when you come to the point where you have to commit violence against someone for basically having their opinion, you know, I just think it’s really sad,” said Mallory.
The St. Johns County court records indicate that Ekanem is now out on bond.
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