Man threatens preschool attack, expresses desire to harm children

A man from North Carolina who threatened to "attack" a preschool, expressing that it would bring him "joy" to harm babies and watch them "suffer," is now headed to federal prison.

Zachary Newell, aged 26, received a two-year prison term for issuing threats online, as noted in the Justice Department's press release. 

Last November, he confessed to making threats against over 20 Black preschool children and communicated these threats on YouTube.

The prosecutors allege that Newell's remarks stemmed from racial bias, with repeated targeting of Black and Hispanic children, as well as minority internet users.

"I'm planning to attack a black preschool," stated Newell in the YouTube video comments section in August 2025. 

"Twenty black children will be attacked and then skinned like the animals they are," he fumed.

In another comment, Newell expressed, "I can't wait to begin the killing."

Describing his anticipation, he said, "It's thrilling to think about the pain and suffering black people will face," he noted. "I will be amused when individuals like you begin meeting violent ends on the streets. LOL. Seeing you suffer until the end will be so entertaining."

On August 31, 2025, deputies from the Carteret County Sheriff's Office contacted Newell in Newport about his social media activity following a "CyberTip" they received. Newell confessed to making those threats.

The DOJ mentions in a March 18 sentencing memo, "He stated that he started following extremist content on Twitter," adding, "He began to believe ... conspiracy theories he encountered online."

Deputies informed Newell that the FBI alerted them to his YouTube post where he claimed he would attack a preschool and "harm the children."

Newell acknowledged "researching demographics in different cities" but denied any plans to act on this data, as the sentencing memo reports. "He insisted his interest was purely academic," the document states. "Newell confessed to erasing his computer search history after being freed on state bond, claiming embarrassment over pornography searches."

A federal judge handed down Newell's sentence on Wednesday.

"Newell vowed to be the next school attacker — and he targeted a preschool, no less," remarked US Attorney Ellis Boyle in the DOJ's release on Newell's conviction.

"Planning to murder infants merely because of their skin colour is abominable and intolerable in a civilised community," Boyle declared. 

"The FBI acted swiftly, thwarted a potential shooting, and brought a dangerous individual to justice."