Frank Lucio Carillo of Winchester threatened Harris last month on the social media site GETTR. Investigators say Carillo, 66, made 19 posts about Harris with threats to shoot, stab and burn her alive, NBC News reported. He made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday. The defendant is being held temporarily pending a court hearing scheduled for Thursday.
In one of her social media posts on July 27, after Harris launched her presidential campaign and two weeks after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Carillo said that if elected, “I will shoot and kill everyone who tries to thwart her efforts,” the criminal complaint says. Investigators said a search of Carillo’s home turned up two guns — a handgun she bought last year and an RF-15 rifle she bought this year. Thousands of rounds of ammunition were also allegedly found on her. Prosecutors say she made a total of 4,359 posts or comments about government officials, authorities said. Other federal officials targeted included President Joe Biden and FBI Director Christopher Wray, the indictment alleges.
U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia said in a statement Monday that Carillo’s actions went beyond political speech. “We can argue and debate. However, when these disagreements cross the line and become threats of violence, law enforcement must intervene,” he said.
Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, have also been the targets of threats on social media. Last month, a Florida man was charged with making written threats to kill Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates.
