Man in Ohio charged with making threats against mosque

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - A man in northeastern Ohio was charged with making threats against a mosque and unlawfully possessing firearms while using controlled substances, federal court records showed.

Wyatt James Brzoska, 20, allegedly made a series of TikTok posts that referenced mass shootings and extremist symbols, including the "black sun," a neo-Nazi symbol, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

U.S. rights advocates have warned about rising Islamophobia and antisemitism in recent years due to a spike in anti-immigration sentiment and white supremacist rhetoric, as well as the fallout of Israel's war in Gaza after a 2023 Hamas attack.

The charges were reported earlier on Wednesday by an NBC affiliate. Brzoska's representative could not immediately be reached for comment.

The FBI first received a tip about Brzoska in mid-November. At the time, Brzoska said "the threats were a joke," the complaint said.

In late November, Brzoska posted a video with references to the 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shootings carried out by a white supremacist that killed 51 people, the complaint said. The FBI again interviewed him and he admitted to owning an AR15 rifle, two shotguns, and a Springfield bolt-action rifle, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, on March 10 he posted a video where he pointed the camera to a mosque in Ohio, with text that stated: "You will feel it."

Brzoska faces federal charges for interstate threats and unlawful possession of firearms while using a controlled substance. The complaint said Brzoska's posts showed his desire to emulate Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch shooter.