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Man arrested for alleged threats to kill Trump
A 24-year-old Kansas man has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill President Donald Trump after allegedly posting violent messages on social media ahead of the president's campaign rally in the Wichita area.
Jaden J. Read, of Clearwater, Kansas, was taken into federal custody on October 17, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas. The arrest came two days before Trump's scheduled appearance in Park City, near Wichita, on October 19.
Federal authorities said the investigation began after a Crime Stoppers tip alerted them to threatening comments Read allegedly posted on Facebook in response to local news articles about Trump's upcoming visit.
Authorities Cite Multiple Threatening Posts
According to federal prosecutors, Read allegedly posted several comments expressing an intention to shoot the president.
In one post responding to a KAKE News article about Trump's visit, Read allegedly called for someone to shoot Trump and followed it with another message claiming he had obtained a firearm and ammunition.
Investigators later identified additional comments beneath a separate KWCH 12 News article about the president's planned appearance. In those posts, Read allegedly threatened to shoot Trump himself and claimed he knew where the president would deliver his speech.
Authorities said Read also claimed to have mapped rooftops near the event location, raising further concerns about the potential threat.
The statements prompted law enforcement agencies to investigate whether the posts represented a credible danger to the president.
Crime Stoppers Tip Leads to Arrest
The investigation began on October 15, when authorities received information about the alleged threats through Crime Stoppers.
After reviewing the social media posts, investigators identified Read as the person allegedly responsible for the comments. He was arrested in Clearwater on October 17 and transferred to federal custody.
The U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol and Wichita Police Department participated in the investigation.
Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging Read with making threats against the president. He was expected to remain in custody pending a detention hearing.
Authorities have not publicly established that Read carried out an attack plan, and the allegations in the complaint have not been proven in court.
Trump Proceeds With Kansas Rally
Trump visited the Wichita area on October 19 for a campaign rally supporting Republican Sen. Roger Marshall ahead of the November midterm elections.
The president delivered his remarks in Park City, a suburb of Wichita. He did not publicly address the alleged threats during the event.
The White House referred questions about the matter to the Secret Service, according to reports.
The arrest highlights the security challenges facing law enforcement agencies when threats against public officials appear on social media, particularly ahead of scheduled public appearances.
Federal Officials Warn Against Political Violence
U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said threats of political violence would not be tolerated, emphasizing that constitutional protections for political speech do not extend to unlawful threats.
The federal charge against Read carries potential criminal penalties if he is convicted. His case will proceed through the federal court system, where prosecutors must prove the allegations.
For now, Read remains accused of making threats against the president. The criminal complaint outlines the statements investigators say prompted the arrest, but the charges alone do not establish guilt.
Source: GMA
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