The U.S. Department of Justice has charged a man in Pennsylvania with threatening federal law enforcement officers after he allegedly posted violent statements online.
This could be just the beginning, federal authorities and private extremism monitors warn.
Educators in states like Pennsylvania, Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, and New York says there would be an increased police presence because of the threats.
Kenelm Shirk III, 71, of Lebanon, was indicted Feb. 3 on a charge of threatening to murder a U.S. official. He pleaded not guilty at his initial court appearance and was locked up pending trial. His lawyer said Shirk had no intent to kill anyone.
“They targeted me in my role as Michigan’s Chief Elections Officer,” Benson said. But she added that the threats shouted outside her home “weren’t actually aimed at me – or any other elected officials in this state. They were aimed at the voters,” because she said they want to overturn the election results.
Twenty-eight-year-old Shawn Christy of McAdoo faces a dozen counts, including charges stemming from alleged crimes in several states while he was on the run for three months.
On average, the Federal Bureau of Investigation receives about 22,000 tips about potential threats of violence weekly.
