LYNN — A 35-year-old Lynn man was arrested after threatening to shoot up a school via a Facebook post.
Robert F. Fecher recently posted on Facebook “Give me one like and I’ll go shoot up a school,” according to court documents.
Fecher was arrested by Boston Police in East Boston on Sunday following the post. The school Fecher was referring to in the threat wasn’t specified. The arrest put Fecher in violation of his probation — he is on probation for separate cases at both Lynn District Court and Woburn District Court for past offenses.
Fecher, who is listed at addresses in both Lynn and Chelsea, was arraigned in Lynn District Court on Monday following his arrest and was held until his next scheduled court appearance on Wednesday.
The threat comes in the wake of last month’s shooting that claimed the lives of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Fecher’s defense attorney, Neil Horenstein, said upon his client’s arrest in East Boston on Sunday, Fecher spoke with police and was very cooperative, giving them consent to search his home. He said police told his client that in these times, they have to follow up with every such incident, but indicated that the case would be dismissed.
“It’s in his interest to not have any consequence because he does want to remain at East Boston Rehab so I would ask if you could release him,” Horenstein said.
Fecher is in the Lynn District Drug Court program and has been staying at East Boston Rehab.
“There will be a clerk’s hearing and at the clerk’s hearing, police can indicate to the clerk magistrate that after speaking with him and after him cooperating completely, according to what they said to him, they don’t feel that this is — it was a stupid, idiotic thing to do, but it wasn’t a genuine threat that would cause them to want to charge him with the threats,” Horenstein said.
Judge James LaMothe countered by saying “this is bad though.”
“I’m so sorry,” Fecher said. “I’m such an idiot.”
Fecher was on probation at Lynn District Court following his arrest in September for larceny and receiving stolen property and at Woburn District Court for August 2015 charges of Class A drug possession and operating after a suspended license, according to a spokeswoman with the Massachusetts Probation Service.
His conditions of probation included substance abuse treatment and testing, attending Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, as well as aftercare. Warrants for his arrest were issued by both Lynn and Woburn following the Facebook post, based on the allegation of a new offense, according to the Massachusetts Probation Service.
Lynn District Court probation officer Kelley Montgomery said she thinks East Boston Rehab would take Fecher back following the arrest. She said there would likely be a sanction at East Boston Rehab because police tore up the place and caused a lot of havoc there because of what was written online, but over and above that, they are concerned about what would make him write that.
Montgomery said Fecher has done well in Drug Court, with LaMothe adding that just last week, in Drug Court, they were saying how well he’s done, but then Fecher went and did something stupid.
LaMothe told Fecher that if East Boston would take him back, he’ll let him go there. But he said there’s also an arrest warrant out of Woburn to factor in and opted to hold him until his next appearance on Wednesday.
Fecher was arrested on Sunday on two warrants out of Lynn, according to Boston Police.
“I’ve never had a weapon,” Fecher said. “I’m so sorry. It was just a joke. I’m just an idiot.”
