NC man obsessed with guns and death arrested; Feds says he idolized mass shooters
by: Greg Funderburg
Posted: Mar 21, 2026 / 01:20 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 21, 2026 / 01:20 PM EDT
Note: The contents of this article and the above video* may be disturbing to some.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Eric Byrd, a 19-year-old from Raleigh, has been charged with making threats of violence linked to mass shootings. It’s a situation that has his neighbors in this quiet Raleigh neighborhood on high alert.
“I am honestly very shocked. Normally, our neighborhood is good with communication, so to be uninformed has me a little on edge,” said neighbor Victoria Ledonne.
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Federal prosecutors allege Byrd displayed an alarming obsession with mass shooters, sharing his intentions through disturbing social media posts. A court document reveals that Byrd “utilized Instagram to post racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism, expressing an intent to harm others (Black people, Hispanics, and homosexuals) and himself.”
In a series of messages from federal court documents, he expressed admiration for notorious figures like Brenton Tarrant and Elliot Rodger, stating he wanted to spread “death and destruction.” Byrd even tweeted that “the world needs more Brenton Tarrants.” Tarrant is the Australian man responsible for the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019, and Rodger killed six people and injured 14 others in California in 2014.
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https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/raleigh/north-carolina-man-obsessed-with-guns-and-death-arrested-feds-says-he-idolized-mass-shooters/
*At the link