Vegan-hating incel arrested after making death threats against the Woodstock Fruit Festival

A vegan-hating New York man was arrested Tuesday morning after he allegedly made a series of death threats against an upstate fruit festival – which included telling an organizer that he would ‘do a f–king Ted Bundy’ to her unless she called off the event.

William Swift, 32, of Brooklyn, appeared in Brooklyn federal court today where he was charged with menacing organizers and attendees of the festival which is described as a ‘vegan health retreat’ and ‘an all-out celebration of health, fruit-based diet and personal growth.’

Swift apparently split from the vegan lifestyle and community, ranting against veganism and fruitarianism on his Instagram page. 

Months before this year’s festival, which is slated to be held at the end of August, the anti-vegan made the threats against the festival’s organizers in emails and audio recordings, federal prosecutors say.

‘The ideal thing would be to go up to Woodstock to shoot up…the Jewish meet up. That would be ideal,’ one disturbing message read, according to court filings. 

Swift is a self-described ‘incel,’ according to a memo filed on Tuesday. Incels are described as men who claim to be ‘involuntary celibate.’ Several have lashed out with violence, usually targeted at women, in incidents across the country.

The Brooklyn man was also previously arrested by the NYPD last month for telling a friend that he fantasized about shooting up Washington Square Park. 

The messages – which date back to February – included threats of conducting a mass shooting and stabbing people connected to the upcoming festival. 

Swift targeted one of the organizers in an audio recording, telling the unnamed woman that he fantasized about doing a ‘f–king Ted Bundy’ to her unless she shut down the festival.

‘I’m sorry to say this but I can’t stop fantasizing about doing very, very, very bad things to you, I don’t have a plan I just fantasize about doing very, very bad things to you….,’ Swift allegedly said on the recording.

The messages began earlier this year when he warned the unnamed woman in an email to not allow two men associated with the event to attend, according to a federal complaint.

Swift apparently split from the vegan lifestyle and community, ranting against veganism and fruitarianism on his Instagram page

The festival runs from August 21-28 at Camp Walden in Diamond Point, NY

The threats escalated throughout the year and Swift said if these unidentified men go to the Woodstock festival, then he would shoot anyone in his way, the documents allege. 

‘Yeah none of them can go to Woodstock, if I see them at Woodstock online I’ll go to Woodstock with a gun and just shoot them or whoever else is in my way…not you, I’ll never shoot you, yet,’ Swift said in one message.

‘I hope they all do come so I get to go up and shoot everyone,’ he said in another.

Swift made clear that he would never shoot the organizer herself at the time, but later made the chilling threats against her in an audio recording. 

William Swift, 32, ‘a self-described ‘incel’ from Brooklyn, was arrested Tuesday morning after allegedly making a series of death threats against the upstate New York Woodstock Fruit Festival

In May, Swift allegedly threatened to kill someone associated with the event if he ever saw them in New York City

The Brooklyn man was arrested by the NYPD last month for telling a friend that he fantasized about shooting up Washington Square Park

In May, Swift allegedly threatened to kill someone associated with the event if he ever saw them in New York City.

‘[H]ey piece of s–t b–ch, I want to make something clear, WFF is over. [JohnDoe-1’s] retreats are over whether you like it or not. [I]f I see you, you will regret coming toNYC, and you will feel my pain,’ he wrote in an email, according to the complaint.

It’s not clear if Swift has a connection to the event or its organizers. 

Last month, the Brooklyn man was arrested by the NYPD for telling a friend that he fantasized about shooting up Washington Square Park.  

After that arrest, the NYPD took Swift to a hospital for a psychological evaluation, and Manhattan prosecutors charged him with falsely reporting an incident, the New York Daily News reported. The charge was not bail eligible. 

Federal prosecutors said Sunday that Swift is a self-described ‘incel,’ involuntarily celibate men who have lashed out with violence, usually targeted at women. 

‘Members of this movement have increasingly been involved in violent activities,’ Assistant U.S. Attorney Gilbert Rein wrote in the memo.