Mississippi Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Making Violent Threats on Snapchat

A 21-year-old man from Mississippi, Christian Blake Bunyard, has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for making threats on Snapchat to rape, shoot, and kill people, according to prosecutors. In May and July 2020, Bunyard, who was 18 at the time, used the social media app to threaten a school shooting, to kill and rape Black people in Oxford, Mississippi, and to rape another Snapchat user if she did not provide nude photos.

Indictment and Guilty Plea

Bunyard, hailing from Lauderdale County, Mississippi, was indicted in November 2020. He then pleaded guilty in April 2021 to making threats in interstate commerce and making an interstate transmission of an extortionate communication, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

The 21-year-old received a total of 41 months in the case, announced the prosecutors. The severity of the threats resulted in the significant prison sentence.

This case serves as a reminder of the legal consequences of making threatening statements, particularly across state lines and on digital platforms. The sentencing reflects the seriousness with which such actions are viewed by the authorities.