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In the video, the Arizona man known for his past confrontations threatens Target for what he called "satanic pride shrines to children" in their stores.
An Arizona man known for his confrontational videos and involvement in the anti-mask movement released a video warning the retail giant Target he will "hunt" LGBTQ+ rights supporters in its stores.
Ethan Schmidt, 24, promised to visit Target stores across the greater Phoenix area during Pride Month to expose what he called the "satanic pride shrines to children" in their stores. In the past, Schmidt has posted videos of himself with various right-wing luminaries like U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar and Arizona State Sen. Wendy Lake among others.
"We're going to make massive scenes in every single Target store across Phoenix, Arizona, and we're not going to let corporate poison the children," Schmidt promised in the video obtained and posted by the group Patriot Takes to its social media.
\u201cEthan Schmidt, a right wing provocateur who has made videos with Kari Lake, Wendy Rogers, and Paul Gosar, warned Target he will \u201chunt LGBT supporters\u201d in their stores and across Phoenix in June, stating they \u201care not safe\u201d and they \u201ccan\u2019t hide.\u201d\u201d— PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1653169534
In his video, Schmidt said that while he had attacked Target in the past, he would step up his actions to an entirely new level for Pride Month.
"So Target, just giving you a heads up, that we'll be coming after you hard. Hard," Schmidt promised. "You know, I've already exposed you guys pretty good, but this is going to be next-level stuff."
He added, "If you support the LGBT agenda, you're not safe."
Schmidt has a history of making provocative statements and stunts via his Telegram account. Twitter and Instagram accounts associated with his name in the past have been suspended or no longer exist, according to the Los Angeles Blade.
Last year Schmidt posted video of a confrontation he initiated with employees at Sunny's Hair and Wigs in Mesa, Ariz. Schmidt targeted the small store because it had requested patrons continue to wear masks even after the state mandate was lifted because the store provides services to cancer patients undergoing treatment.
\u201cAnti-masker in Arizona refuses to leave a wig store and records himself trespassing\u201d— Fifty Shades of Whey (@Fifty Shades of Whey) 1623090165
The owner of Sunny's Hair and Wigs, Lisa Memberr, told The Arizona Republic last year they received threats after Schmidt posted his video.
"We began receiving phone calls from his followers, threatening to shut down the store, using very abusive and offensive language," Memberr said.
Schmidt also was banned from the Arizona state capitol building after he confronted a Black Arizona legislator with a racial slur.
"Why are you wearing a slave mask?" Schmidt asked Rep. Reginald Boulding in the incident captured on video.
\u201cAfter the rally, Ethan Schmidt then freely trolls around the House building telling people to support HB2596, harassing a group of old ladies, throwing up the nazi salute as people in masks walk by, and he calls Black representative Reginald Bolding a slave.\u201d— AZ Right Wing Watch (@AZ Right Wing Watch) 1643215498
While some may take Schmidt's threats seriously, he claims they are only designed to "create leftist outrage," according to his Telegram page.
Schmidt also claimed in a recent post that he had been called into a visit with the FBI in response to the large number of death threats he says he has received.
