LOL? Facebook Sniper Joke Prompts FBI Visit

Margate politics meets Facebook and the FBI gets involved

Humor and politics don't often mix, but add Facebook and a sniper rifle and you've got the makings for an FBI investigation.

A South Florida politician's son posted what he claims was a joke about his dad losing an election, but the winning candidate and the cops didn't find the status update funny at all.

Mark Popovic, the son of Margate city commission candidate Rich Popovic, posted on his Facebook that he was going to "assassinate" the winning candidate to make his dad feel better.

“Sorry dad about not getting the position. Guess I have to assassinate whoever won. Guess I’ll grab the sniper rifle,” the post read on Saturday.

The candidate who ended up winning the commission seat, Lesa Peerman, got wind of the post and contacted the authorities, who paid 25-year-old Mark Popovic a visit at his home in Pennsylvania, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Peerman said in the wake of the recent shooting in Arizona that killed six people and nearly took the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, such posts have to be taken seriously.

Rich Popovic said Friday that his rival needs to lighten up.

“He was almost in tears,” Popovic told the Sun-Sentinel. “Of course he was kidding. He doesn’t even know Lesa Peerman. Peerman said the reason she was afraid is because of what happened in Arizona. What happened to that poor Congresswoman has nothing to do with what’s happening in Florida.”

No charges have been filed against the Popovic family.

Mark Popovic removed the post that wasn't so LOL and replaced it with this one after the men in black had a chat with him.

“Sorry about my joke. Didn’t think the cops were going to beat me up over trying to make you feel better. It was a joke, everyone. My father is a good man and so am I.”

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