RACINE, Wis. — A 34-year-old Racine man was charged with making terrorist threats after prosecutors say he threatened to shoot up a plasma center.
According to a criminal complaint, Devon Thomas was threatening to shoot staff members inside the CSL Plasma Center in Racine on July 26. Thomas allegedly told an employee outside that he had a gun in his vehicle.
The plasma center went into lockdown, locking the doors and not letting anyone in or out of the center.
A witness at the center told authorities she knows Thomas from prior contacts. The complaint says she was walking down a hallway near the entrance when she saw Thomas walking toward her. She said she tried to avoid him because he made harassing comments to her in the past. As he approached her, he bumped her and became angry and began to swear and yell. The complaint says Thomas stated, "I am about to pop you on the G" and that he would find her when she leaves work.
A second witness said she heard the threatening statement and told Thomas he had to leave. According to the complaint, Thomas then told the witness he was going to kill her and "shoot the place up."
There were approximately 15 to 20 employees and about 30 donors at the center when Thomas threatened to shoot everyone. The complaint says no one saw a gun and no gun was displayed.
According to court records, Thomas was given a $10,000 cash bond on Thursday. He will return to court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 4. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum of 3.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
