Background: McDonald”s and Sonic locations in East Alton, Ill. (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Austin Blair and Jarrett Maki (Madison County Sheriff’s Office).
Two men were charged with making terroristic threats to various fast food restaurants in Illinois, allegedly warning about a purported “active shooter.”
Austin Blair and Jarrett Maki, both 25, were each charged with 11 counts of making terroristic threats to McDonald’s, Domino’s, and Sonic locations in Illinois. According to court documents shared by the East Alton Police Department, both Blair and Maki allegedly called the restaurants making claims that they saw “a dude with a big gun walking towards your store” and “there’s going to be an active shooter at your store in five to 10 minutes.”
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Police said the co-defendants made a series of threatening calls over the course of a month, from late July to late August, before they were apprehended by police. According to the court documents, Maki and Blair allegedly called a Taco Bell in East Alton on July 28, telling the person who answered the phone, “I see a dude with a big gun walking toward your store.”
The same day, police alleged the pair called a McDonald’s and a Sonic location, telling them that “a shooter was coming to the store and did not care if the police were at the location.” They also allegedly called a Casey’s restaurant in Wood River, saying that “there’s going to be an active shooter at your store in five to 10 minutes.”
According to court documents, the calls allegedly continued the next day. On July 29, a caller later identified as either Maki or Blair told an employee at a Domino’s in East Alton with a “threat to shoot up the store.” Similar calls were allegedly made to the same McDonald’s and Sonic locations by the two men on July 30 and 31.
After a pause in the alleged calls that lasted more than one week, another call was made to the East Alton Domino’s on Aug. 10, when either Blair or Maki allegedly called threatening to “blow their heads off.” Another call placed to the same Domino’s on Aug. 21 allegedly included a threat to blow up the building and shoot the staff.
On Aug. 27, police said that Blair and Maki were behind a call placed to the Runway Lounge in Bethalto, Illinois that stated, “[Y]ou ever had an assault rifle in your face[?]”
Police stated that the alleged threats caused “fear and disruption” at the restaurants, some of which chose to close early out of safety concerns.
According to East Alton police, they began investigating the calls and determined that they were coming from a home in the same town. When they searched the home, they found and arrested Blair. Their investigation also led them to Maki, who is a resident of Detroit, Michigan. Maki was arrested after being located in Madison, Illinois.
Both men are charged with 11 counts of making terroristic threats. According to Detroit-based Fox affiliate WJBK, Blair was released from custody while Maki remains in Madison County Jail. Maki was reportedly fired from his job at the Detroit City Football Club. Blair is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 26 and Maki is scheduled for Oct. 3.
