Facebook 'massacre' joker out of jail

Justin Carter, who has become something of a cause celebre for those who wish to preserve sarcasm online, has received substantial financial help from someone who may or may not be a celebrity.

Carter was released Thursday, after an anonymous donor put up $500,000 of bail money.

Should you have been busy organizing your own personal asylum lately, Carter is the 19-year-old from Texas who was thrown in jail for what seemed to be an ill-timed joke, after a fractious game of "League of Legends."

In reply to someone offering that he may be insane, he posted on Facebook: "I think Ima shoot up a kindergarten. And watch the blood of the innocent rain down. And eat the beating heart of one of them."

A woman in Canada who took him seriously contacted the nearest police to Carter's home, and he was arrested for making a terroristic threat. His bail was raised from $250,000 to $500,000.

This was in March. Since then, his parents claim he has been beaten and placed in solitary confinement, an accusation the jail authorities dispute.

While the authorities hold an investigation into the allegations, MSNBC reports that an anonymous someone has put up $500,000 to fund Carter's bail.

Carter's father and attorney are scheduled to appear on "All In With Chris Hayes" Thursday night.

It is possible that someone well-known has put up the money, as something similar happened in the case of Paul Chambers, the Brit who made a Twitter joke about bombing his local airport if authorities didn't clear it of snow.

In his case, actor, writer, and technophile Stephen Fry was one of those who came forward with an offer of support to fund Chambers' defense. (Chambers won his appeal, though he lost his job.)

Currently, there has been no offer of evidence that Justin Carter is anything but a sarcastic and marginally thoughtless youth. He is next due in court July 16.