TAVARES, Fla. — An Ocala man was arrested Thursday after deputies say he threatened to shoot up the Lake County Courthouse hours after he was escorted out of a hearing over a traffic citation.
Shawn Lorenzo Navarro, 26, was arrested on a charge of threats of death or bodily harm, according to a Lake County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit.
Navarro was disruptive during the Thursday morning hearing and was escorted out of the courtroom, the affidavit states. He was then asked to leave the courthouse because he continued to cause a disturbance.
Navarro returned about 1:10 p.m. and was verbally aggressive toward law enforcement before walking toward courtroom 1H, according to the affidavit. Two witnesses gave written statements saying they heard Navarro claim he had a badge and a gun and threaten to shoot up the courthouse. One witness said Navarro was on his phone at the time.
The courthouse was open during the alleged threats, and judges, clerks, law enforcement officers and members of the public were inside. Navarro was arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $5,000 bond.
