Twitter threats targeting Parliament, embassies lead to Ottawa man’s arrest, RCMP say

A 19-year-old Ottawa man has been arrested for “posting numerous threats on Twitter,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police say.

According to a press release Tuesday, the arrest comes after the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) was told on Nov. 8 about “death and terrorism-related threats” that a Twitter user was posting.

“The threats targeted Parliament Hill, the Department of Defence, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa,” the release said.

“All threats” are “taken seriously” — and this includes “tweets on social media,” according to Staff Sgt. Pascal Herbert of INSET.

“This file demonstrates how communication between departments plays a key role in keeping our communities safe,” Herbert added in the release.

The RCMP press release identified the accused as Daniel Houde, adding that he was “taken into custody” and later “released on conditions.”

The Ottawa man has been charged with four counts of a “terrorist hoax,” four counts of knowingly uttering a threat to “cause death or bodily harm to a person,” and knowingly uttering a threat to “burn, destroy and damage real property.”

Houde is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 18.

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