Kansas Man Facing Federal Charges For Making Online Threats Toward Nashville Pride Event

NASHVILLE – A Kansas man has been indicted for making online threats to commit acts of violence at an upcoming Nashville Pride event, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.

An indictment unsealed this morning charges Joshua Hensley, aka Josh Echo, 25, of Hoisington, Kansas, with two counts of transmitting an interstate threat related to the upcoming Nashville Pride event, scheduled for June 24-25, 2023.  Hensley was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday at his home in Kansas and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.  A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday in the District of Kansas.

According to the indictment, on April 26, 2023, Hensley posted comments to a Facebook post for Nashville Pride and threatened to “make shrapnel pressure cooker bombs for this event.”  In another comment posted the same day, Hensley threatened to “commit a mass shooting.”

“We will not tolerate hate-based, threats of violence designed to intimidate Tennesseans,” said U.S. Attorney Leventis.  “We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to ensure that the civil rights of all persons are protected.”

If convicted, Hensley faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

This case is being investigated by the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nani M. Gilkerson of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

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