A 19-year-old Ottawa man is facing charges for allegedly posting threatening tweets targeting Parliament Hill, the Department of National Defense and the embassies of China and the United States.
In a news release, the RCMP said its Integrated National Security Team was notified Nov. 8 of “death and terrorism-related threats” issued by a Twitter user.
Daniel Houde was charged with four counts each of a terrorist hoax, threatening to cause death or bodily harm to a person and threatening to burn, damage and destroy property.
A spokesperson for the RCMP’s Ontario Division said in an email that the threat against the Department of Defense was “not directed at any specific unit,” and the same Twitter post mentioned the US Pentagon.
Police said Houde was taken into custody and later released on the condition that he must notify them of any change of address, job or occupation, and that he must not be unless 50 meters from Parliament Hill or the American or Chinese embassies or contact their staff.
Houde is scheduled to appear in Ottawa court on January 18.
The RCMP said all threats are taken seriously, including those made on social media.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on January 3, 2023.
———
This story was produced with the financial assistance of Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
