Kansas Man Faces Charges Over Alleged Threats Against Trump
(MENAFN) A 24-year-old Kansas man has been charged with threatening US President Donald Trump after allegedly publishing a series of violent messages on social media before Trump’s planned visit to Wichita, according to the US Justice Department.
Jaden J. Read was charged through a criminal complaint filed Saturday by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, the department said Monday.
Investigators reportedly began examining the case on Oct. 15 after receiving a tip through Crime Stoppers. The tip directed authorities to Facebook comments posted in response to an article about Trump’s scheduled Oct. 19 visit to Wichita.
According to the allegations outlined in the complaint, Read called for the president to be shot and claimed he had obtained ammunition and intended to kill him.
“Let’s shoot Trump honestly, where’s our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life,” he wrote on Facebook, according to the Justice Department.
“I just got a 308 and 305 round and I’m killing this pedo," he also posted.
Authorities arrested Read in Clearwater on Saturday before transferring him to federal custody. The Justice Department said he was expected to remain detained while awaiting a hearing to determine whether he would continue to be held in custody.
US Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser condemned threats involving political violence while noting that such cases must be distinguished from political speech protected by the US Constitution.
“Political violence and threats of political violence will not be tolerated,” Kriegshauser said in the statement.
“The First Amendment allows for robust disagreement but there are constraints,” he added, warning that political expression must remain within constitutional limits.
The case highlights the legal scrutiny authorities apply to alleged threats against public officials, particularly when such statements emerge ahead of planned public appearances. The charges are based on criminal allegations, and the complaint does not by itself establish guilt.
Jaden J. Read was charged through a criminal complaint filed Saturday by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, the department said Monday.
Investigators reportedly began examining the case on Oct. 15 after receiving a tip through Crime Stoppers. The tip directed authorities to Facebook comments posted in response to an article about Trump’s scheduled Oct. 19 visit to Wichita.
According to the allegations outlined in the complaint, Read called for the president to be shot and claimed he had obtained ammunition and intended to kill him.
“Let’s shoot Trump honestly, where’s our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life,” he wrote on Facebook, according to the Justice Department.
“I just got a 308 and 305 round and I’m killing this pedo," he also posted.
Authorities arrested Read in Clearwater on Saturday before transferring him to federal custody. The Justice Department said he was expected to remain detained while awaiting a hearing to determine whether he would continue to be held in custody.
US Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser condemned threats involving political violence while noting that such cases must be distinguished from political speech protected by the US Constitution.
“Political violence and threats of political violence will not be tolerated,” Kriegshauser said in the statement.
“The First Amendment allows for robust disagreement but there are constraints,” he added, warning that political expression must remain within constitutional limits.
The case highlights the legal scrutiny authorities apply to alleged threats against public officials, particularly when such statements emerge ahead of planned public appearances. The charges are based on criminal allegations, and the complaint does not by itself establish guilt.
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