(USNewsMag.com) – Federal prosecutors just charged a Michigan man for posting online death threats directed at President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and many others, as well as threats to bomb Washington, D.C., and national monuments.
Forty-eight-year-old Russell Douglas Warren was arrested and charged in Michigan’s Eastern District after posting a series of threats on Twitter, the social media platform since rebranded by Elon Musk as “X.” According to The Detroit News, which first reported on the charges, Warren threatened to kill various public officials and to bomb federal buildings using an account under the name “Lancer227.”
As of Tuesday, Jan. 30, the account was still active on the platform with only 22 followers and features multiple posts threatening current and former government officials, federal buildings, and landmarks. Warren warned Washington, D.C., and recommended a “complete evacuation” of the city, which he said would be bombed.
Posts also said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters would also be bombed, and that all of the organization’s employees are “condemned.” He added, “Shoot to kill.” Other agencies targeted include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Security Agency (NSA).
The account also featured a post suggesting that the president and vice president should both be imprisoned “to await execution” by hanging. Warren made similar posts about Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who is possibly facing impeachment by Congress, and about Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was also threatened, among other officials from the Biden administration.
Warren seemed to target both Democrats and Republicans in his posts, including major current and ex-presidential candidates, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Democratic candidate Marianne received threats and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Warren also threatened to hit national monuments like Mt. Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty. Warren also threatened to bomb national parks.
The arrest marks the latest sign of an increase in political violence or threats of violence. Recently, there have been a string of “swatting” incidents against politicians, judges, and other officials from both sides of the aisle as America begins to feel more and more like a powder keg.
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