(Ottawa) A young Ottawa man suspected of making threats against Canadian institutions and foreign countries on a social network was recently arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The exact date of the arrest of 19-year-old Daniel Houde has not yet been released by the federal police. However, the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Team (INSET) in Ottawa was informed on November 8 of the death and terrorism threats issued on the social network Twitter.
Pascal Herbert, Assistant Officer at INSET Ottawa, said all threats are taken seriously, including posts on social media.
RCMP report that the young man is charged with inciting fear of terrorist activities, willfully uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and uttering threats to burn, destroy or damage a building.
RCMP say the threats were directed at Parliament Hill, the Department of Defense, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the United States Embassy in Ottawa.
According to court documents, Houde allegedly threatened to use explosives against members of parliament, ‘a dirty pipe bomb’ on the Department of Defense and the US Embassy and ‘jet fuel’ on the Chinese Embassy. .
He was first taken into custody before being released on conditions including a weapons ban.
He is also prohibited from being within 50 meters of Parliament Hill and the American and Chinese embassies, in addition to not having to communicate with their staff.
A spokesperson for the RCMP’s Ontario Division said in an email that the threat against the Department of Defense was “not directed at any specific unit,” and the same Twitter post referred to the US Pentagon.
Houde has yet to enter a plea and his attorney, Oliver Abergel, has declined an interview request.
Houde will appear in Ottawa Provincial Court on January 18.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.