Trey Edward Anderson was charged with terroristic threatening in the second degree. Under Kentucky Law, that’s a Class D felony, which can carry a prison sentence of one to five years and a fine of $1,000-$10,000.
Anderson sent members of the band threatening messages to their official and personal Instagram accounts, according to a police report and one band member’s account.
They say he also posted videos threatening to shoot up the venue with “guns and bombs” and kill people experiencing homelessness. The show was a benefit for local nonprofit Feed Louisville, which serves unsheltered people.
Anderson pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, court records showed. Jefferson District Court Judge Kristina Garvey maintained Anderson’s $20,000 bond, and barred him from using social media or making contact with Whirling Tiger or its employees if he’s released. His next court date is July 25.
Katie Anderson, a spokesperson for the FBI's Louisville Field Division, told LPM News the office was initially unaware of the arrest, but is now looking into the incident.
“The Civil Rights Task Force is currently evaluating the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident. If the findings warrant it, we will refer the matter for prosecution to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s Office,” Anderson said in an email.
Kentucky’s hate crime law does not cover crimes motivated by anti-transgender bias, but federal law does.
The Louisville-based punk band Shark Sandwich was set to play a show with other bands at performance venue Whirling Tiger last Friday. That was canceled and the venue was temporarily closed over the weekend in light of Anderson’s escalating threats.
A representative for Whirling Tiger did not respond to a request for comment.
One band member said they shouldn’t have to feel unsafe and targeted in these spaces.
“Not even just in general, but specifically on the basis of our sexuality, or race or our viewpoints,” they said.
LPM is not naming the person due to potential risks to their safety.
The band member said they grew up listening to The Ramones and Bikini Kill, and started going to local shows in Louisville as a teenager.
“I saw other people in my community doing it, and armed with that inspiration I was like, ‘Oh, this is actually, like, feasible.’ I have peers in my community playing music and doing shows and people want to come see it,” they said.
While they said they’re nervous about retaliation from Anderson and the possibility of continued harassment, they said what they do is important for young people.
“The queer kids and the girls and the Black kids…every marginalized child that comes to our shows, I want them to see someone that looks like them and be like, ‘I can do that too.’” they said.
They said there is a supportive music scene and community in Louisville. But they’re also worried about how common anti-LGBTQ + rhetoric is now. And they’re concerned about harassment that could face other bands whose members are from marginalized backgrounds.
“It’s really unfortunate that there are people that want to make people frightened and small because that’s how they feel,” they said.
The band will continue playing shows, they said.
The FBI reported hate crimes across the country targeting gay men and lesbian women hit a five-year high in 2022, the most recent data available. The agency said anti-transgender incidents jumped up to 338 for the year, a 40% increase over 2021.
