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Florida man arrested for threatening COVID-19 contamination

Witnesses say the man sprayed an unknown substance labeled COVID-19 on the doors of a business

JSO arrested David R. White Sunday after witnesses say he sprayed a substance labeled COVID-19 on the entrance of a building. (WJXT)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Just before noon Sunday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about an “intentional COVID-19 contamination” at a local business.

Witnesses told officers a man sprayed an unknown liquid from a bottle labeled COVID-19 on the entrance and doors of the business while telling employees and patrons they were now infected with the new coronavirus.

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JSO’s Intelligence Unit and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force led the investigation and were immediately able to identify David Randolph White, 50, as the suspect.

White was later arrested on charges of manufacturing, possessing and threatening the use of a weapon or hoax weapon of mass destruction.

According to JSO, the business took proper precautionary measures to clean and sanitize the area.