Police identify Twitter user accused of making threat

Authorities have identified the Twitter user accused of posting violent threats against the Longacre Theater, New York Police Comissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday.

Kelly said the user is not located in New York City, but police were preparing to interview the person.

Kelly declined to offer details on the person’s exact whereabouts, but did say reckless endangerment is one of the possible charges the alleged tweeter could face.

Twitter initially had refused to disclose the user’s personal information to police investigating the threats, but identified the individual after being served with a subpoena.

“We think in an instance like this, sort of common sense would dictate that we get that sort of information,” Kelly said. “Certainly this message referred to (the mass shooting in) Aurora. Referred to a specific location. This is the type of thing that a law enforcement agency needs to know.”

Twitter has not responded to multiple CNN requests for comment.

Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne told CNN Tuesday, “We take the threat seriously, especially in light of recent attacks in Wisconsin and Colorado.”

Authorities said the Twitter user posted a threat about an attack at the Longacre Theater in midtown Manhattan, where former boxing champion Mike Tyson, 46, is performing his one-man show, “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth,” a Broadway production that centers on his well-publicized life.

Additional information about the incident was not disclosed, but authorities have bolstered security at the theater and other public areas across New York after two deadly mass shootings in Colorado and Wisconsin.

Authorities’ quest this week for personal user information highlights a growing conundrum for companies in the Internet age, when privacy concerns are pitted against those of public safety.