Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Feb 8: A 33-year-old man from Ohio has been charged with threatening to kill United States Vice President JD Vance and with receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material, the US Justice Department said.

The accused, identified as Shannon Mathre, was arrested on Friday by the US Secret Service following a grand jury indictment. According to officials, Mathre allegedly made explicit threats stating that he intended to locate Vice President Vance and kill him using an automatic weapon.

The Justice Department said that while probing the threat case, investigators uncovered that Mathre had possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material between December 31, 2025, and January 21, 2026.

A US Secret Service spokesperson said the investigation spanned several months and involved monitoring the accused’s online statements, behaviour and activities in coordination with the FBI and law enforcement agencies in Ohio.

“As a society, we must remain united in our zero tolerance for political violence,” the spokesperson said, adding that the accused will now answer to a federal court.

Attorney General Pam Bondi warned that those making threats cannot evade accountability, stating that individuals may attempt to hide behind screens but cannot escape the justice system.

The case comes amid heightened security concerns, as Vice President Vance and former President Donald Trump have faced multiple threats since contesting the 2024 US presidential election on the Republican ticket.

In recent months, several individuals have been charged in connection with threats and attacks targeting senior US officials, including an attempted assassination of Trump in 2024, for which the accused was recently sentenced to life imprisonment.