Steelers players and fans at Heinz Field were the targets of a threat. (Gene Puskar / Associated Press)
A San Antonio man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to kill Pittsburgh Steelers players at the NFL divisional playoff game Sunday in Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field.
“This Sunday’s playoff game in Pittsburgh is going to be like no other. Why? Because it’s going to be my last day on this pathetic planet. So why not take some innocent lives with me?” Yuttana Choochongkol, 30, wrote according to an arrest affidavit obtained by San Antonio’s KSAT station.
“The Steelers game will be packed, and that’s when I plan on killing Steelers football players and fans before taking my own pitiful life. After all, what does a person that is going to commit suicide have to lose? Absolutely nothing. So why not take out some million dollar Steelers players before me? Sounds like a good idea. Hahahahahah.”
#Steelers game tomorrow received threats of a mass shooting, authorities traced those threats back to a San Antonio manhttps://t.co/SiaXHJ4CmH
— Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) January 14, 2018
The target was one of the NFL’s most visible and highly anticipated games, with either the Steelers or the Jacksonville Jaguars advancing to next week’s AFC championship game in New England. The Steelers and Jaguars will play before a national TV audience in a game that will be shown on CBS at 1:05 p.m. EST.
The Steelers expressed their appreciation for how law enforcement officials ended the threat, saying in a statement Sunday: “The Heinz Field website received a threat concerning the playoff game vs. Jacksonville. We take all threats seriously and turned over information to the FBI and the City of Pittsburgh police. We are thankful law enforcement was able to identify and track down the individual to make an arrest. We appreciate the hard work and attention that our law enforcement provides to our communities.”
According to KSAT, the man sent the threat to Pittsburgh’s KDKA station as well and officials forwarded them to the FBI, which tracked down Choochongkol’s user name and internet provider’s address. The threats were then tracked to Worldwide Clinical Trials in San Antonio. The affidavit states that, according to Worldwide Clinical Trials, Choochongkol has been a medical trial subject 25 times over the last seven years.
On its Facebook page, the company describes itself as “advancing clinical research since 1984″ and adds, “healthy adults have come to our facilities to participate in both overnight and outpatient clinical research studies to test new drugs for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Many people participate because they want to help advance medical science, however, qualified participants are compensated for the time they spend in the study, as well as travel time. The majority of Clinical Research Services’ participants are repeat visitors. They find it’s an ideal time to relax, read a book or watch a movie − and get paid for doing it. The friendly staff and comfortable facilities keep them returning time and time again. Participants also enjoy meeting new people and creating lasting friendships.”
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