A 25-year-old man from Philadelphia found himself in hot water when he pleaded guilty to federal felony charges for sending two fake tips about a potential mass shooting and school bombing. Matthew Gabriel, the individual responsible for the false alarms, was initially believed to be retaliating against another member of his fantasy football league by claiming that they were planning to commit these violent acts in Norway and at the University of Iowa.
The feud began on August 3, 2023, when Gabriel submitted an anonymous tip to the Norwegian Police Security Service, alleging that a fellow fantasy football player who was studying abroad in Norway had been plotting an attack upon their arrival later that month. He even provided a detailed description of the alleged perpetrator and claimed that multiple people were involved in the plan, with intentions to cause mass casualties at a concert and then move on to a department store.
The false tip prompted a swift response from authorities, consuming over 900 investigative hours across five days before Gabriel finally admitted to the FBI that he had made up the whole story. However, this was not the end of his reckless actions, as he continued to send anonymous threats in March, targeting the University of Iowa.
In this instance, Gabriel sent an email posing as another individual who claimed to have received a message from a member of their fantasy football group, alleging that the victim intended to “blow up the school.” This second hoax threat was also acknowledged by federal prosecutors as being sent merely as a joke.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero expressed her disapproval of Gabriel’s actions, highlighting how they not only wasted significant law enforcement resources on two continents but also diverted attention from genuine incidents and investigations. She emphasized that hoax threats are not protected speech and can result in serious consequences, including federal charges for those who engage in such behavior.
In light of this debacle, Matthew Gabriel managed to strike a deal with prosecutors that may spare him any time behind bars. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a 15-month house arrest sentence along with three years of probation. However, his attorney Lonny Fish admitted that the situation had escalated beyond what was initially intended and acknowledged that it had been a “practical joke” gone awry.
