Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill US Vice President JD Vance

A 33-year-old man has been arrested and charged in the United States for allegedly threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance during his visit to Ohio in January.

Federal prosecutors confirmed that the suspect, Shannon Mathre, a resident of Toledo, Ohio, was indicted by a grand jury for making a direct threat against the life of the Vice President.

In a statement released by the Justice Department, Mathre was accused of “making a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” Vice President Vance.

Investigators revealed that Mathre had allegedly declared he was “going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” Authorities did not disclose where the statement was made or how it was communicated.

Following the investigation, agents of the United States Secret Service arrested Mathre on Friday. He was immediately taken into federal custody.

Officials said the arrest came after security agencies traced the threat and linked it to Mathre through digital and intelligence findings. Law enforcement agencies described the threat as serious and credible enough to warrant swift action.

During the course of the investigation, authorities also discovered what they described as “multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials” in Mathre’s possession. This finding has opened a separate line of criminal inquiry in addition to the threat against the Vice President.

Mathre appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Ohio on Friday for his first court hearing. The court ordered that he remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for February 11.

The Justice Department noted that the case highlights the increasing security challenges faced by top government officials, especially during domestic visits and public engagements.

Vice President Vance has been involved in other recent security-related incidents. In early January, he disclosed that “a crazy person” attempted to break into his Ohio residence by repeatedly hitting the windows with a hammer. At the time of the incident, Vance and his family were not at home. A 26-year-old man was later arrested in connection with that case, according to reports.

However, security officials said protective measures around the Vice President have since been reviewed and strengthened.

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