Atlanta police arrest person with making threats to LGBTQ+-friendly nightclub

ATLANTA - Atlanta Police have arrested a man they say made terroristic threats against a nightclub popular among the LGBTQ+ community.

Atlanta Police Department Homeland Security detectives said Atlanta resident Chase Staub posted a series of threats in videos on his Instagram story holding a weapon with cryptic and messages threatening patrons of The Heretic written on sticky notes last week.

Staub’s arrest came exactly one week since the mass shooting at a gay club in Colorado, which killed five.

Chase Staub (Fulton County Jail)

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"We were able to engage our Homeland Security unit, and they were able to search further into the social media account and found some concerning things," said Atlanta Police Sgt. Jarius Doughtery.

Police said employees at The Heretic called officers after they saw the video with the threatening remarks toward the bar on social media.

Sticky notes display the message "Don't give me something to shoot about". (FOX 5 Atlanta)

They later learned that the weapon he was holding was actually a pepper spray gun.

On Monday, The Heretic’s manager Alan Collins told FOX 5 he was relieved.

"Mr. Staub scared the heck out of a lot of folks and that’s NOT ok," Collins said in an email. "He obviously needs help, but must be held accountable for his actions and the fear he caused our community."

Collins said that the club has been around for 31 years and always has off-duty Atlanta Police Department officers working security.

A day after investigators became aware of the posts, patrons at two other gay bars, Oscar’s and Felix’s, called the police after Staub appeared there.

Officers said he was gone by the time they got there, but they later arrested him at home.

A video posted to an instagram story shows Staubs holding a pepper spray gun. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Investigators found the pepper spray gun Staub appeared to be holding in the video. He was charged with making terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

"We see these establishments as a safe space. These are more than just bars or businesses. These really are a family, they’re a refuge for many of us," said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. "Members of our community experience this on an ongoing basis, but what we have seen is a number of rhetorical attacks on the LGBT community at large."

Fulton County Jail records indicated that a judge set bond for Staub on Monday at an initial appearance, but by Monday evening he had still not been released.