Local
Jacksonville Man Jailed Over Alleged Election Day Shooting Threats, Online Posts
Erik Dorr, 44, was arrested after investigators say he posted dozens of increasingly violent messages, including threats to go 'hunting at the polls' on Election Day. He faces a second-degree felony charge and is due back in court Nov. 25.
A Jacksonville man is in custody after state investigators say he made a string of violent threats online, including repeated references to targeting people at election polls.
Erik Dorr, 44, was arrested Tuesday and booked on one count of written threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, a second-degree felony, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE Special Agent Sean Lawler said Dorr authored dozens of posts on the Fox News digital platform between Feb. 12 and Oct. 31. Investigators say the messages escalated in severity over that span, with some aimed at judges, transgender people and election poll workers.
Two posts from late October are central to the case. On Oct. 29, Dorr allegedly wrote, "I'd be hunting at the polls." Two days later, on Oct. 31, he is accused of posting that "there are thousands of us hunting at polls" and warning that workers would not get away with their "usual" conduct without being beaten.
On Monday, Nov. 2, FDLE agents, joined by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives and deputies, went to Dorr's home. According to the arrest report, Dorr acknowledged that the posts were linked to his email address and admitted to writing them.
He told investigators he never intended to hurt anyone and was venting about political frustration, the report states. He also said he does not own any weapons.
Dorr's next court appearance is set for Nov. 25.
The case arrives as election officials across the country remain on heightened alert over threats to poll workers and the potential for political violence. In Florida, written threats of mass violence are treated as serious felonies, and law enforcement agencies have increasingly moved to act on online posts that name or imply targets at public events, including voting sites.
For Jacksonville residents, the arrest underscores how digital rhetoric can carry real-world legal consequences â and how quickly a post can move from a comment thread to a criminal charge. It also highlights the pressure on local poll workers, who have faced a rise in harassment and intimidation in recent election cycles.
Dorr is being held pending his November court date. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.