CONCORD, N.H. — A man from Dover, New Hampshire, has been charged after allegedly threatening to kill a Republican presidential candidate.
Tyler Anderson, 30, allegedly sent text messages that threatened a presidential candidate, as well as attendees at a campaign event that was scheduled to take place in Portsmouth, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Hampshire said in a news release.
The DOJ did not specify which presidential candidate was allegedly threatened, but a spokesperson for Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign did confirm to NBC News it was them who received the threat.
Ramaswamy was scheduled to make an appearance at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Roundabout Diner.
"We are grateful to law enforcement for their swiftness and professionalism in handling this matter and pray for the safety of all Americans," the campaign spokesperson told NBC.
Anderson was charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another, according to the release. He will make an initial court appearance in Concord on Monday afternoon.
"According to the charging documents, Anderson received a text message from the victim’s campaign notifying him of a political event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Anderson responded to the text message on December 8, 2023, stating: 'Great, another opportunity for me to blow his brains out!' and 'I’m going to kill everyone who attends and then f*** their corpses,'" the release stated.
Anderson could face up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted under the charge. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarad Hodes and Matthew Hunter, the release said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into this case, with help from the Dover and Portsmouth police departments.
"The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," the release stated.