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A California man was arrested after allegedly threatening to bomb Merriam-Webster's offices and kill its employees over their definitions of women, reports ABC News. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, 34-year-old Jeremy David Hanson of Rossmoor was charged on April 20 with one count of interstate communication of threats to commit violence. He allegedly sent online threats to the dictionary publisher in October.
Hanson sent the threatening messages through its "Contact Us" section on its website and in the comments sections on its web pages for the words "Girl" and Woman." The entries definitions read "a person whose gender identity is female" and "an adult female person" respectively. Using the handle "@anonYmous," Hanson allegedly posted the following comment: "There is no such thing as 'gender identity.' The imbecile who wrote this entry should be hunted down and shot." He also sent a message through the "Contact Us" pages stating their headquarters should be "shot up and bombed."
Rachael Rollins, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts said the threats were serious enough to force Merriam-Webster to close its Springfield and New York offices out of an abundance of caution. "We believe Hanson sent a multitude of anonymous threatening and despicable messages related to the LGBTQ community that were intended to evoke fear and division," said Rollins in a statement.
Hansons allegedly sent similar threats to other companies, non-profits, and individuals, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Hasbro, and more. ABC News reports he was released on conditions following a court appearance in California. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson in federal court in Springfield on April 29.