A New York man has been charged with threatening to shoot people at a Jewish children’s camp for allegedly not socializing or wearing masks, authorities said.
Nicola Pelle, 58, of Inwood on Long Island, is being charged on charges of committing a terrorist threat and on alleged gun damage.
Pelle called Nassau County Police on Monday to report a violation of social distance at Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island Children’s Camp, according to a police statement. At the call, Pelle said there were 500 children playing in a garden that did not wear masks or social distances.
“While police were the suspect on the way, Nicola Pelle called again and threatened to get a gun and shoot the people at the location if the police did not get there,” the statement said.
“If I have to go out with a freaking machine gun and shoot all these people, I will,” Pelle said on the call, according to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, NBC New York reported.
When police arrived, Pelle identified himself as the caller, and he was arrested without incident, according to police.
Investigators found that Pelle was in possession of a valid gun license for the province, and had five handguns, along with rifles and shotguns, which included two assault weapons. NBC New York reported that a total of 14 weapons were seized from Pelle, including a Bushmaster rifle.
Pelle was arrailed Tuesday on charges of creating a terrorist threat, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of criminal possession of a firearm. He was later released on tape, according to NBC New York, which reported that emergency responders were seen at his home shortly thereafter.
The station said Rabbi Ari Ginian, who manages Yeshiva Ketana, said Pelle had lived next to the camp for years and that his reaction was “very uncharacteristic.”
“He may have been frustrated by some of the situations we face. There’s great of everyone right now. We feel for him that he brought himself to that point,” Ginian said. The school did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Phone calls to numbers called for Pelle went unanswered Tuesday morning. He is expected to appear in court in October.
