The New York Police Department police subpoenaed Twitter Tuesday to identify a user who threatened to "shoot up" a Broadway theater in an Aurora-style attack.
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The user, who tweets under the handle @ObamasMistress and calls herself "Anonymous Celebrity," referenced the shooting in this tweet:
@shannamartella like i said you on my hit list too. This shit ain’t no joke yo I’m serious people are gonna die just like in aurora[More from Mashable: Police to Twitter: Hand Over Data of Threatening User [UPDATED]]
— Anonymous Celebrity (@obamasmistress) August 2, 2012
Last month, a gunman opened fire during a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in an Aurora, Colo. movie theater. The attack killed 12 and injured 59.
The user's purported target was the Longacre Theater on Broadway, where former boxing champ Mike Tyson is performing his one-man show, Undisputed Truth, according to the Associated Press. The show, which opened last Thursday, has seen an increase in security since the unsettling tweets emerged.
I might just shoot up this theater in new York I know they leave their exit doors unlocked. Ha now I gotta plan it step by step.
— Anonymous Celebrity (@obamasmistress) July 29, 2012
Written from late July to early August, the user describes "planning a murder" at the theater, and tweeted promises of violence to other Twitter users:
@kristtysmith its not a threat it's a promise— Anonymous Celebrity (@obamasmistress) July 29, 2012
Planning a murder is harder than I thought but people are going to die just like they did in the theater .
— Anonymous Celebrity (@obamasmistress) July 30, 2012
@nicolemillernyc Well ima shoot that theater up tonight trust me— Anonymous Celebrity (@obamasmistress) August 2, 2012
@shaedee2 no once again it's not a joke I even got a hit list wit all the people ima kill on it.— Anonymous Celebrity (@obamasmistress) August 3, 2012
@shaedee2 no I had last minute plans and I'm in Florida rite now but it'll happen i promise I'm just finishing up my hit list— Anonymous Celebrity (@obamasmistress) August 3, 2012
Twitter initially refused to provide the source of the tweets, but later complied, the AP reported.
"We appreciate the timeliness and sensitivity of this matter, and have reviewed the reported Twitter account. While we do invoke emergency disclosure procedures when it appears that a threat is present, specific and immediate, this does not appear to fall under those strict parameter as per our policies," the microblogging service told police in an email.
The NYPD Intelligence Division learned of the threat last Friday, according to ABC News.
"We take the threat seriously, especially in light of recent attacks in Wisconsin and Colorado," said police spokesman Paul Browne.
Police are continuing their investigation.
This story originally published on Mashable here.