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A man who was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance was also found with child sexual abuse materials, according to the Justice Department (DOJ).
Shannon Mathre, 33, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of threatening to kill Vance during the vice president’s visit to Northwest Ohio in January, the DOJ said.
Mathre is accused of saying, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” The DOJ did not give specific details about when or where the threat was made. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a news release that, “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice,” suggesting the threat could have been made online.
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Bondi said.
SECRET SERVICE AWARE OF UMASS LOWELL-FUNDED RADIO DJ’S DIRECTIVE TO ‘KILL JD VANCE’
Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks at Royalston Square in Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 22, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The U.S. Secret Service arrested Mathre on Feb. 6. A federal grand jury has since returned an indictment charging Mathre with making the threat against Vance.
While investigating the threats, federal agents found “multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM)” in Mathre’s possession, according to prosecutors. Subsequently, the grand jury also charged that “from about Dec. 31, 2025, to Jan. 21, 2026,” Mathre engaged in the receipt and distribution of CSAM.
Vice President JD Vance speaks with Breitbart News Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Nov. 20, 2025, in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
CALIFORNIA MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MAKING ONLINE DEATH THREATS AGAINST JD VANCE DURING DISNEYLAND VISIT
“While arresting this man for allegedly threatening to murder the Vice President of the United States, a serious crime in and of itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child sexual abuse materials,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual.”
David Toepfer, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said “violent threats” such as the one made against Vance would “not be tolerated.” He vowed that those who make these threats “will face swift justice and prosecution.”
Mathre made his initial court appearance on Feb. 6, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, the DOJ said, adding that he remains in custody until his detention hearing, which is set to take place on Feb. 11.
If found guilty, Mathre faces up to five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for the threat against Vance, according to the DOJ. Additionally, if found guilty on the CSAM charge, Mathre could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison and given a statutory fine of up to $250,000.
Vice President JD Vance will attend the 2025 G20 Summit in President Donald Trump’s place. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
ATTORNEY FOR SUSPECT IN VANCE HOME VANDALISM RULES OUT POSSIBLE MOTIVATION
Vance faced multiple death threats and had his Ohio home vandalized last month.
William DeFoor, 26, was arrested in early January in connection with the vandalism of Vance’s home. DeFoor was booked on charges of vandalism, obstruction of official business, criminal damaging or endangering, and criminal trespass.
“I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home. As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows. I’m grateful to the secret service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly. We weren’t even home as we had returned already to D.C.,” Vance wrote on X.
In another January incident, Marco Antonio Aguayo, 22, of Anaheim, was also arrested after allegedly making multiple threatening comments on Disney’s official Instagram account referencing pipe bombs, imminent bloodshed and violent action against “corrupt politicians” on July 12, the same day Vance and his family were visiting and staying at the resort.
William DeFoor, 26, appears in court on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, for non-federal charges in connection with the vandalism of Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home. (WXIX)
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Additionally, Digital reported exclusively that a volunteer radio show host resigned after authorities confirmed they are aware of a post threatening Vance on left-wing-dominated social media app Bluesky. The person identified themselves as a host of a radio show on WUML, which is funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
The university told Digital that it alerted authorities once it became aware of the post. Secret Service confirmed to Digital that it was aware of the post. The Haverhill Police Department directed Digital to the FBI, which declined to comment.
Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Alexandra Koch and Peter D’Abrosca and ‘ Matt Finn contributed to this report.
