A federal grand jury has indicted 33-year-old Shannon Mathre from Toledo, Ohio, for allegedly threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance using an automatic weapon. This incident comes amid an increase in political violence and threats in the U.S.
According to the indictment, Mathre was reported to have said around January 21, “I am going to find out where he is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” In addition to this serious charge, he is also accused of distributing child sexual abuse materials.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed the severity of the situation on social media, highlighting that the arrest came during an investigation into Mathre’s violent threats. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the importance of prosecuting such threats against high-level officials.
Mathre’s attorney, Neil S. McElroy, dismissed the murder threat charge as a “farce,” suggesting it was an exaggeration used by the government. He claimed Mathre couldn’t comment on the second charge about child sexual abuse materials because he had not received any related documents from the government.
The U.S. Secret Service stated that Mathre’s threats were taken seriously, noting that they had been monitoring him for months in collaboration with the FBI. They stressed the need for a united front against political violence, stating that such actions will have legal consequences.
If convicted, Mathre faces up to five years in prison for the attempted murder threat and up to 20 years for the child sexual abuse materials charge. He is currently being detained, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
This case is part of a concerning trend of political threats against officials. In just the past month, a man was arrested for vandalizing Vance’s home, while another was detained for attempting murder of OMB Director Russ Vought.
Political violence continues to be a critical issue in the U.S., raising ongoing questions about how to protect public officials. Recent tragedies, like the shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last September, underscore the urgency of this issue.
For further details on the threat against the Vice President and political violence trends, you can refer to the Justice Department’s announcements.
