MANLIUS, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Onondaga County District Attorney has formally requested a GPS-tracking device be assigned to the man accused of threatening a racist mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Market in the Village of Manlius.
DA Bill Fitzpatrick confirmed for NewsChannel 9 Wednesday, March 15, that a location tracking bracelet isn’t currently a feature of 20-year-old Zachary Mullen’s pre-trial release with “enhanced supervision.”
The judge wasn’t legally able to keep Mullen in custody after he was arrested Saturday, March 11, due to state law’s limits on what charges can have bail applied. Mullen is charged with making a terroristic threat.
The “enhanced supervision” ordered by the judge puts the onus on the Onondaga County Department of Probation for attempting to keep Mullen from reoffending while not in jail.
In addition to the criminal charge, a State Supreme Court Judge has approved a request for an Extreme Risk Protection Order against Mullen.
The order, temporary for now, allowed police to seize the guns that gave his written threat online more credibility. A hearing Friday, March 17, will determine if the ban should continue an entire year.
A company spokesperson for Tops Friendly Markets promises more security at the Manlius location. No changes were evident outside the store. A privately hired officer was stationed just inside the front entrance.
Out of the ordinary for the department, Manlius Police refused to answer any questions related to the case, pending some sort of unclear approval.
The Town Board released a statement:
“Given the fact that the online threat also reportedly included racial language, we want to acknowledge the fear, concern, and trauma that members of our community may also be experiencing.
We condemn the use of hate-speech and acts that target others with violence and discrimination, and believe that anti-Racism work is also violence prevention.
We will reach out to leaders at Tops and our community partners to convene a conversation about how we live this commitment and ensure our operations are aligned. Please contact us at townboard@townofmanlius.org with your willingness to participate in this conversation.”
