DENVER, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- A Colorado man who told his therapist he wanted to shoot school children and kill the president posed a danger and must remain in prison, a federal judge said.
Magistrate Judge Kristen Mix denied bail for Mitchell Kusick, 20, Monday despite objections from his attorney, who said Kusick had a severe bipolar disorder that would be better treated by a therapist not affiliated with the federal detention center, the Denver Post reported.
Defense attorney Marci Gilligan unsuccessfully argued that electronic monitoring, a curfew and mental health treatment would be sufficient for Kusick, who faced a federal charge of making threats against the president.
Authorities said Kusick made the statements during an Oct. 29 "emergency appointment" with his therapist and repeated the statement to police while he was hospitalized on a mental health hold, the Post said. He allegedly said he wanted to kill children during a Halloween event at a school and hoped to become famous as "the guy who killed [President] Obama."
He faces a misdemeanor charges in state court on the alleged threats against the school.
"This is a very troubling case," Mix said Monday. "It's clear to the court that the defendant suffers from mental illness, but it is mental illness that has not necessarily been controlled by medication."
