A New Hampshire man who allegedly threatened to carry out mass shootings at campaign events in the state could be facing up to 15 years in federal prison. Tyler Anderson, 30, has been indicted on three counts of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another, Politico reports. The Department of Justice says the Dover resident threatened to "disembowel" and "impale" one candidate in messages sent Nov. 22. He allegedly followed that in texts sent Dec. 6 with threats to shoot another candidate in the head and carry out a mass shooting. The department says Anderson made similar threats to a third candidate on Dec. 8.
Federal authorities haven't disclosed which candidates Anderson allegedly threatened, but Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign confirmed earlier this month that it was the one threatened on Dec. 8. Karl Rickett, a spokesman for Chris Christie's campaign, confirmed Thursday that the Republican was the target of the Dec. 6 threats, the New York Times reports. It's not clear which candidate was targeted in the Nov. 22 threats. Anderson was arrested Dec. 9 after Ramaswamy campaign workers reported the texts to police. Firearms were seized, along with his phone. He was released Dec. 14 on condition that he have no contact with presidential campaigns and take medications prescribed during mental health treatment, reports NBC Boston.
Anderson, who has no previous criminal record, faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the three charges. "We have seen an increase in threats of violence against public officials and those seeking public office across the country, and I have made clear that these types of illegal threats undermine the function of our democracy," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "We will not tolerate illegal threats of violence directed at public officials or those seeking public office." (More Election 2024 stories.)
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