UPDATE:
Investigation Involving Threats on Social Media
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lynchburg Police Department (LPD) began an investigation as the result of threats made through a social media platform last weekend.
On Friday, June 3, at 11:08 p.m., the LPD began receiving direct messages through Facebook Messenger which threatened the mass shooting of local law enforcement officers and judiciary employees. These messages continued through the early morning hours of Saturday, June 4, and prompted detectives with the LPD Special Investigations Division (SID) to investigate.
By Saturday afternoon, SID detectives had identified the owner of the Facebook profile as Joseph R. Lombard, 35, of Amherst. A search warrant was obtained for Lombard’s residence in the Town of Amherst on Newington Drive and the following criminal charges were issued for Lombard’s arrest:
- Threats to bomb or burn a building
- Threats of death or bodily injury to a person
- Harassment by computer
The Virginia State Police (VSP) Tactical Team was contacted to assist with the service of these warrants.
During the warrant service on Saturday evening, Lombard was found deceased inside of his home by VSP personnel.
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Earlier: A man is dead after being hit by a tractor-trailer in Bedford County early Tuesday morning. It happened at 3:50 a.m. on Rt. 460, near Candle Lane. State Police say A 72-year-old man was walking west on Rt. 460 in the roadway when he was hit by a tractor-trailer driving west. Police say Bedford County 911 received a call from a passer-by prior to the crash, saying a man was walking in the road, but before any units could respond, the man had been hit. His name has not been released.