Houston Police have identified the person behind death threats made toward Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his family.
The person has been identified as an overseas sports bettor, though police declined to specify which country they were from or provide the person’s name, according to multiple reports.
The person admitted to investigators with the Houston Police Department’s Major Offenders Division that he had been gambling on the game last month when he lost money and was “frustrated and inebriated” when he made the social media threats, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The suspect did express remorse and asked police to pass along an apology to McCullers and his family.
No charges have been filed, though the investigation is still open.
McCullers revealed that after his start on May 10 against the Reds, he had been sent threats that said the person would “find my kids and murder them.”
The Astros pitcher had given up seven runs in the first inning in just his second game after a nearly 2 ½ year absence while recovering from arm surgery.
“It’s been a tough evening,” McCullers told reporters at the time. “I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports. But threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with.
“There have been many threats over the years, aimed at me mostly. … But I think bringing kids into the equation, threatening to find them, or next time they see us in public they’re going to stab my kids to death, things like that, is tough to hear as a dad.”
Since the threats, McCullers’ family had been given 24-hour security by the Astros, according to the Associated Press.
McCullers had also told the AP that his 5-year-old daughter had overheard his wife discussing the death threats, prompting the little girl to heartbreakingly ask, “Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?”
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