CRIME, POLICE + COURTS

Former Olympic boxer arrested in South Florida for threatening mass shooting

Nov 24, 2022, 8:00 AM
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 04: Boxer Azea Augustama attends NUVOtv's "Knockout" Live Fight Press Conference a...
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 04: Boxer Azea Augustama attends NUVOtv's "Knockout" Live Fight Press Conference at Casino Miami Jai Alai on June 4, 2014 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for NUVOtv)
(Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for NUVOtv)

CNN) — A former Olympic boxer from North Miami has been arrested and accused of threatening to shoot up a gym in South Florida, according to an arrest affidavit.

Azea Augustama, who represented Haiti at the 2008 Olympics, was arrested Tuesday after putting a deposit down to buy an AK-47 and was accused of three felonies — two counts of issuing written threats to commit a mass shooting and one count of threatening to kill or do bodily harm — the affidavit said.

CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment.

Augustama’s membership at the Boxr gym in Miami was revoked on November 11 after an argument, police say in the court document.

“Something was off. He was just acting a little funny and started acting aggressive,” Mateo Attalla, the owner of Boxr, told CNN by phone.

On Tuesday morning, Augustama, 39, called the police and returned to the gym to get his belongings, according to the affidavit.

“He was escorted in with cops to get belongings and, of course, belongings weren’t there,” Attalla said.

The same day, he made several disturbing social media posts that contained “threats to kill or do bodily harm with a firearm,” a detective said in the arrest report. According to Attalla, Augustama tagged the gym in some of the threatening Instagram posts and included a receipt for a deposit for an AK-47, and later deleted them. Attalla told CNN he immediately notified police of the threats.

Police noted an Instagram profile belonging to Augustama in the affidavit. The profile shows at least three posts with images of the Parkland school shooter, including one taken during the massacre in 2018. One post shows an image of the Parkland school shooter during a court hearing with a caption that appears to threaten the employees at the gym where Augustama had been a member.

According to the affidavit, Augustama also sent someone a message with a picture of one of the potential victims, indicating “he’s first when I get my gun or with something else first (RIP).”

Police say Augustama drove to a nearby pawn shop Tuesday and put a $150 deposit on an AK-47. Detectives had been notified of the threats and arrested Augustama at the pawn shop.

Attalla was not aware of any previous issues with Augustama and praised police for taking action quickly.

“We were able to stop someone who could’ve caused a problem very fast,” he said.

Augustama is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami on a $3 million bond.

Augustama represented Haiti in the 2008 Olympics, according to the organization’s official website. He lost his first-round light-heavyweight match to Washington Silva of Brazil 6-2. According to the website BoxRec, Augustama was 20-3 as a professional boxer, with his last fight in 2017.

The affidavit lists his current profession as personal trainer.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

Crime, Police + Courts

Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign r...
MICHAEL R. SISAK, ERIC TUCKER and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press

Donald Trump indicted; expected to surrender early next week

Charges stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
10 hours ago
Pictures of the victims killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School are fixed to a memorial ne...
Mallika Kallingal, Nouran Salahieh and Eric Levenson, CNN

Some 911 calls from Nashville’s Covenant School shooting are released

 (CNN) — Some of the 911 calls from The Covenant School shooting have been released by the City of Nashville, capturing some of the tense moments as the carnage played out. One woman who says she is in the building as the shooting is happening tells the operator, “I hear another shot.” The operator responds, […]
10 hours ago
Former President Donald Trump listens as he speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane afte...
Mark Jones

Former President Trump was indicted Thursday, what it means

Former President Trump was indicted Thursday by a New York grand jury. KSL at Night hosts discuss with former U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah, John Huber.
1 day ago
Then-President Donald Trump leads a meeting with travel and tourism industry executives to discuss ...
Kara Scannell, CNN

Lawyer: Trump indicted; 1st ex-president charged with crime

This is the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president and a jolt to Trump’s bid to retake the White House in 2024.
1 day ago
ogden police and other agencies are pictured at high school...
Samantha Herrera

Ogden Police using live video feeds to aid in situations like hoax lockdown

The Ogden City Police Department had extra help on Wednesday when it responded to now-debunked reports of an active shooter at Ogden High.
1 day ago
Gwyneth Paltrow...
Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

Jury finds Paltrow not liable in ski collision trial

A jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon in Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial over a 2016 ski collision at a Utah resort.
1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...
BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.
Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....
Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a new winter activity? Try skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.
Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...
Intermountain Health

Five common causes of Cervical Cancer – and what you can do to lower your risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.
Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...
Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.
happy friends with sparklers at christmas dinner...
Macey's

15 easy Christmas dinner ideas

We’ve scoured the web for you and narrowed down a few of our favorite Christmas dinner ideas to make your planning easy.
Spicy Homemade Loaded Taters Tots...
Macey's

5 Game Day Snacks for the Whole Family (with recipes!)

Try these game day snacks to make watching football at home with your family feel like a special occasion. 
Former Olympic boxer arrested in South Florida for threatening mass shooting