FGCU student accused of praising mass shooters, making terrorism threats online
A Fort Myers man was arrested after investigators said he made online posts glorifying mass shooters and advocating violence.
According to an affidavit, FBI special agents interviewed FGCU civil engineering student Joseph Baer, 21, on February 26, 2025, regarding a series of posts uploaded on Feb. 18, 2025, from an X account with the username of “SamsaraAddict”
Court documents state the posts glorified mass shooters, promoted white supremacist ideology, displayed firearms, and advocated for violence against racial and religious minorities.
Mohamed Al-Darsani, a former imam and current president of the Interfaith Action Group of Southwest Florida, said the news is disturbing.
“Our job is to go out and say, that’s not America. This is not us,” Al-Darsani said. “It doesn’t represent the American values or the Christian values.”
While being interviewed, Baer admitted that he owned the account, but denied intent to commit violence, investigators said.
However, further investigation reportedly revealed that Baer had continued involvement with online extremist communities that promoted racially motivated violent extremism.
The FBI received information in October 2025 that Baer was actively participating in online forums and Discord servers associated with neo-Nazi accelerationist organizations. These include FashFront.org, described as a place for “fascists to network” and individuals aligned with the Injekt Division, an organization that promotes real-world organized violence through online propaganda and networking.
Read more: ABC News Gulf Coast