A Utah man who had made threats against Joe Biden was shot and killed by FBI officials on Wednesday, just hours before the US president was scheduled to visit the western state.
The FBI reported that a suspect was slain when special agents attempted to serve arrest and search warrants at a home in Provo, south of Salt Lake City.
The FBI declined to identify the dead individual, citing an ongoing investigation, but he was recognised as Craig Robertson in a complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Utah.
According to the complaint, Robertson, who was in his early 70s and described himself as a "MAGA Trumper," repeatedly threatened Biden and others in posts on social media.
.jpeg)
Did you read this?
"I hear Biden is coming to Utah," Robertson said in a post this week. "Cleaning the dust off the M24 sniper rifle.
"Welcom (sic), buffoon-in-chief!"
In addition to Biden, the complaint claimed that Robertson threatened Vice President Kamala Harris and US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
"The time is right for a presidential assassination or two," one message stated. "First it was Joe, then it was Kamala!!!"
He also threatened to shoot Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is investigating former President Donald Trump for allegedly paying a porn star hush on election night.
.jpeg)
The accusation also contained images from Robertson's social media postings of his enormous weapons collection, including a semi-automatic rifle he called a "Democrat eradicator."
Biden is now in the western United States and is set to fly from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Salt Lake City later Wednesday.
The US Secret Service, which protects the president, stated that it is "aware of the FBI investigation involving an individual in Utah who has exhibited threats to a Secret Service protectee," but provided no other information.
