FBI Arrests USPS Worker for Threatening Mass Shooting at Lubbock Pride Event. Four Illegal Guns Found.

The Arrest

Michael Thompson, a USPS employee residing in Clovis, New Mexico, was taken into custody Sunday after the FBI received a tip about social media posts threatening a mass casualty attack at the LubbockPRIDE festival in Lubbock, Texas, according to the FBI.

Thompson admitted to posting the threats and then deleting them. He also confirmed to investigators that he works for the U.S. Postal Service.

Authorities recovered four firearms from his residence. Thompson has a prior felony domestic violence conviction, which means he is legally prohibited from owning or possessing any firearm.

The Charges

Thompson faces two federal charges: being a felon in possession of a firearm, and transmitting threatening interstate communications. Both are serious federal offenses. He was expected to make his initial court appearance Monday, June 30, according to Fox News.

The Event He Targeted

LubbockPRIDE went ahead as planned over the weekend with no incident. Festival organizers posted on Facebook after the event: "Yesterday was filled with so much love, fun, and community, and we couldn't have asked for a better celebration."

That outcome was not accidental. Federal and local law enforcement were alerted via a tip, moved quickly, and had Thompson in custody before the event concluded.

What the FBI Said

FBI Director Kash Patel credited the arrest to coordinated action between federal agents, intelligence teams, and Texas state and local partners. "This weekend's arrest out of Lubbock, Texas, is the best of this FBI and our law enforcement partners in action," Patel said, adding that they "acted decisively and stopped him before he could act."

Patel also said: "More lives saved thanks to good cops being cops."

Patel's praise of the operation is consistent with the facts as reported. No charges beyond the two federal counts have been announced, and no investigation into USPS as an institution has been indicated.

A Second Incident, Different State

This arrest is not an isolated case. Earlier in June, Christopher Waller, 25, was arrested in Brunswick, Georgia, after threatening to attack attendees at a local Pride event. Waller was charged with making terroristic threats stemming from comments he posted to a local Facebook group on June 9, according to Fox News.

Two separate threatened attacks, two states, both intercepted before anyone was hurt.

The Strongest Counter-Concern

Some critics will argue that threat cases like these receive disproportionate coverage during Pride month and are used to cast entire political or religious communities as violent, when most opposition to Pride events is nonviolent and lawful. This article covers a specific man who possessed four illegal firearms and posted an explicit threat of mass murder. The conduct here is criminal, not political. The charges reflect what Thompson actually did, not what anyone believes or votes.

The arrests of Thompson and Waller do not implicate anyone who has not posted threats or illegally possessed weapons. Peaceful opposition to Pride events is a legal exercise of free speech. These cases are about guns and death threats, not viewpoints.

The Open Question

Thompson was a federal employee at the time of his arrest. He had a prior felony conviction on record. How he passed whatever background check USPS requires for employment, and whether federal hiring processes flag felon status consistently, has not been addressed by any agency statement as of June 30, 2026. Fox News Digital said it reached out to USPS for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.