Shane Gobeil threatened to “show up and kill somebody” at the Canaan Schools if his child — a student in the district — was approached by a transgender person or drag queen at school, according to a police affidavit.
Gobeil made the threat Monday at a New Hampshire store in the presence of two Canaan Schools students, ages 16 and 17, and later repeated it to Vermont State Police officers, according to police.
“Don’t take what I said as a threat, take it as a promise,” Gobeil later told a responding Vermont State Police trooper, according to court documents.
The Canaan Schools, which include two separate buildings — an elementary school and a high school that share a campus — serve about 180 students. Both schools were closed Tuesday and Wednesday in response to the alleged threat.
Charged with harassment on Tuesday, Gobeil was released on conditions Wednesday following his arraignment in a New Hampshire court. In Vermont, Essex County State’s Attorney Vince Illuzzi sought and was granted an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which prohibits Gobeil from purchasing or possessing dangerous weapons for at least six months.
Though police searched Gobeil’s residence and found no weapons, he told officers he “intended to exercise his right to own firearms” and stated that he wished to purchase an AK-47 assault rifle at some point, according to court documents.
The documents state that Gobeil was previously convicted of a felony charge for second-degree assault in March 2015. Gobeil was also cited for trespassing on Canaan Schools’ property within the last week after he allegedly harassed students, parents and staff regarding mask recommendations, according to the documents.
The threats allegedly occurred Monday at Solomon’s Store, a grocery store located in Stewartstown, New Hampshire. According to court documents that cite visual and audio footage of the interaction, Gobeil was speaking with two students in the store about the school’s dress code.
“The school’s changing,” Gobeil said, according to a Vermont State Police affidavit. “Before you know it, there’s going to be a drag queen show and, you know what, I’m probably going to show up and kill somebody. A lot of body’s (sic).”
“You understand?” he said. “If you guys ever do that to Canaan and my daughter’s in that school, be ready for God’s wrath.”
A store employee reported the threat to the store manager. Just after 5 p.m. on Monday, Principal Ryan Charles Patterson reported the threat to Vermont State Police, forwarding footage of the interaction.
According to court documents, both students subsequently stated that they were alarmed by Gobeil’s statement. One of the students said that they were afraid to go to school the next day.
When Vermont State Police made contact with Gobeil, he allegedly reiterated, “if they’re going to ever have a transgender and drag queens … and bring it right here in my daughter’s face, I am going to have a big problem with that. … If anybody comes near my daughter with a fucking dick and fucking panty hose, I’ll kill ‘em.”
Vermont State Police troopers said in their report that they advised Gobeil “multiple times” that his statements were concerning to the students, teachers and parents of children who attend the school.
“Gobeil advised that he did not care, and he would say whatever he wants as it was his own right to do so,” the affidavit states.
Following the threat, Canaan Schools shut down their high school and elementary school Tuesday and Wednesday, which would have been the final two days of the school year.
According to the New Hampshire State Police arrest warrant, the school had previously served Gobeil two separate Notice Against Trespass forms.
In December 2021, Gobeil allegedly showed up at the school and yelled at the administrative assistant for wearing a mask.
Following that incident and a warning, Gobeil allegedly confronted a mother and two students for wearing masks on two separate occasions. He was subsequently served a Notice Against Trespass form.
On June 7, 2022, he was served another Notice Against Trespass form by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. According to court documents, Superintendent Conroy said the order stemmed from Gobeil upsetting students, parents and staff over wearing face masks.
According to court records, Gobeil was released on personal recognizance, with conditions, in the New Hampshire court Wednesday afternoon.
In addition to the standard terms of release, he is prohibited from having contact with Patterson and the two students from Solomon’s Store. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons.
Gobeil’s trial has been scheduled for Aug. 11 at 1st Circuit District Court in Colebrook, New Hampshire. He is being charged with harassment, a misdemeanor that carries a possible jail sentence of less than one year and a fine of $2,000 or less.
Illuzzi told VTDigger on Wednesday that the state of Vermont was unable to charge Gobeil because the threat was made in New Hampshire.