Jail photo Christopher Cleary
Christopher Cleary is a 27-year-old Denver man who is accused by Utah authorities of threatening to kill “as many girls as I see” because he was a virgin who was turned down by women.
According to online records, Christopher Cleary is now being held in the Utah County Jail. The alleged social media threats took place as women’s marches were taking place nearby, although they were not actually carried out.
On Facebook, where he went by the name Kris Cleary, Cleary wrote, “I’m Kris. from denver, sports pa announcer, free spirit traveler and a lonely Starbucks lover.” He also has a YouTube channel with a couple of videos on it.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Cleary Is Accused of Writing on Facebook That He Was Planning to Become ‘The Next Mass Shooter’
Christopher Cleary
Authorities became aware of Christopher Cleary when he allegedly made a threat on Facebook, according to an affidavit provided to Heavy by police in Provo, Utah.
“On 1/19/19 in the early morning hours Provo Police dispatch was contacted by an officer out of Colorado State regarding Christopher Cleary. Provo police officers were given information about threats being posted to Facebook by Christopher Cleary,” the affidavit alleges.
It accuses Cleary of posting the following message on his Facebook page: “All I wanted was a girlfriend, not 1000 not a bunch of hoes not money none of that. All I wanted was to be loved, yet no one cares about me I’m 27 years old and I’ve never had a girlfriend before and I’m still a virgin, this is why I’m planning on shooting up a public place soon and being the next mass shooter cause I’m ready to die and all the girls the turned me down is going to make it right by killing as many girls as I see.”
He is also accused of posting: “Theres nothing more dangerous than man ready to die.”
The accusations bear some things in common with what is called the “incel movement,” but authorities have not used the term to describe Cleary. According to Vox, Incels are an “online community of ‘involuntarily celibate’ men radicalized by their shared mistrust of women” that “has existed on the internet for years.” The community burst into the public’s consciousness after crimes committed by alleged incels, such as a van attack in Toronto. Vox reports that the incel movement’s “main grievance is with women’s ability to choose their own sexual partners.” Asked specifically if Cleary has any ties to the incel movement, a police spokesperson said that was not known.
2. Cleary Is From Colorado & Wrote on Facebook That He Had ‘Such a Hard Life’
Christopher Cleary
On Facebook, Cleary’s most visible post is a Facebook fundraiser – for himself. The post reads, “time are tough, i am getting kicked out soon of my apartment, i havent been able to find work. i go to day labor everyday to try to get some money but most of the time they tell me theres not enough work for everyone to get jobs for the day. ive had such a hard life and i asking you if you could help with anything i would greatly apprciate it. thank you all.”
Cleary lives in Denver, Colorado, according to the Deseret News, and he was visiting Utah when the alleged threat was made.
In the affidavit, police noted that an “additional concern had to do with several Women’s Marches taking place in various locations throughout the state today, including a march in Provo, and another in Salt Lake City.”
The affidavit says that he was staying in an AirBNB rental in Provo, Utah. The affidavit reports that officers were “eventually able to locate him at the McDonalds in south Provo, at 1225 S University Ave.”
“He told me he arrived yesterday (1/18/19), and had been staying on the east side of Provo at an Air BNB,” wrote the officer in the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, “Officers were provided with an IP address that led them to the area of 1042 S 1000 E in Provo. They were initially unable to find the subject.”
The FBI then contacted Provo police. FBI agents in Colorado were also involved.
3. Christopher Cleary Has a Criminal History Involving Negative Behavior Towards Women
Christopher W. Cleary Allegedly Threatened to Target Women in a Mass Shooting Because He’s a 27-Year-Old ‘Virgin’ t.co/4qmVMl6JZ8
Christopher Cleary has a criminal history in Colorado that allegedly involves “a pattern of threatening behavior towards women,” reports KSL.com.
Colorado court records show a series of arrests for Cleary on accusations including harassment, stalking and charges relating to domestic violence.
According to the affidavit, Cleary “is currently on Probation in Jefferson County, Colorado. The Probation Office contacted me and let me know that this is a pattern of behavior with Cleary where he is on probation for felony stalking and threatening of women,” reported the officer in the affidavit.
“The probation office in Colorado informed me that they intend to seek an extradition warrant for Cleary due to these threats, which also caused major concern to several agencies in Colorado, who thought Cleary might still be in their jurisdictions.”
4. Cleary Is Accused of Making a Terrorism Threat & Posted Videos to YouTube
On his YouTube channel, Cleary posted videos called things like “CRAZY MCDONALDS BURGER MUKBANG!!!!” In one video, he is sitting at McDonald’s with multiple burgers. Other videos are about sporting events or show him eating pizza. One video shows him at a shopping center in Provo, Utah.
He calls himself “Chris the YouTuber.”
Provo police wrote in the affidavit that, after consulting with the Utah County Attorney, authorities determined that Cleary had allegedly committed a “threat of terrorism” by “threatening to commit an offense involving bodily injury and death (‘killing as many girls as I see’), and specifically mentioning ‘shooting up a public place soon.'”
Cleary “was escorted out of the McDonalds by an FBI agent and Utah County Major Crime Task Force detective, where I then advised him of his Miranda rights. Cleary told me he understood his rights, and agreed to answer my questions,” the affidavit says.
He also indicated he had “taken medication in the past, but couldn’t remember what it was. He also told me that he has some kind of impulse disorder,” the affidavit accuses.
The officer requested a significant bail amount.
5. Clearly Is Accused of Telling an Officer That He Was ‘Not Thinking Clearly’
According to the police affidavit, Cleary spoke to an officer and “he admitted to making the threats, but claimed to be upset and not thinking clearly when he did so.”
The officer asked Cleary if “he had posted the threats while he was in Provo, and he admitted he did,” alleges the affidavit.
According to the officer who wrote the affidavit, Cleary “allowed me to look through his phone, and I did not see any more threats. He told me he had deleted the Facebook post because he’d been receiving threats from other people since posting it.”
He was arrested because the officer was concerned “for public safety.” The affidavit alleges that Cleary then “made suicidal comments, and said he thought it might be better if he died. He talked about handcuffing himself to a tree in the middle of nowhere where no one could hear him scream as a means of killing himself.”