LUBBOCK, Texas — Thomas Matthew Fricke, 45, of Midland was arrested this week for terroristic threat; specifically, he was accused of threatening a mass shooting at a Lubbock hospital.
According to an arrest warrant, Fricke called Covenant Children’s to get information about his grandchild. The child was in “super critical” condition in late March having been, according to court records, the subjection of violent abuse.
The baby’s parents, Gary Lee Fox, 20, and Makayla Fricke, 22, were both arrested for injury to a child and as of Thursday both remained in the Lubbock County Detention Center.
On April 3, police were called to Covenant Children’s.
According to the arrest warrant, “Someone had just called the PICU at [the hospital] and threatened to shoot all of the nurses and the baby in bed #8.”
The warrant said Thomas Matthew Fricke called the hospital for information about the baby. When he did not get all of the information he wanted, he “threatened to shoot up the hospital.”
Police were able to locate Fricke by phone. The warrant said he denied making any threats but did admit he called the hospital. The warrant said Fricke told police he was planning to come to the hospital. A Lubbock Police investigator instructed him not to.
An arrest warrant was prepared on Monday and Fricke was arrested that same day. He has been held on a $200,000 bond.