74 year old man in the United States killed by FBI agents, threatening to assassinate Biden post | President | United States
A few hours before President Joseph Biden arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on the 9th, FBI agents shot and killed a man in his 70s with a gun in the nearby city of Provo, accusing him of threatening to assassinate Biden and Vice President Camara Harris.
This incident once again highlights the increasingly serious threat of political violence in the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation stated in a statement that on the morning of the 9th, agents arrived at the suspect Craig Robertson's home in Provo to carry out a search and arrest warrant, and shot and killed Robertson at 6:15 am. Two law enforcement sources who did not want to be named told the Associated Press that Robertson was armed when the agent opened fire.
That morning, law enforcement officers could be seen moving in and out of Robertson's residence, removing some items. There is a window broken by the door, and the blinds inside are crooked. The surrounding roads have been blocked by the police. Some neighbors said they saw law enforcement officers around Robertson's house in the early morning and heard an explosion and multiple suspected gunshots.
Biden is scheduled to inspect a veterans hospital in Salt Lake City on the 10th and hold a fundraising campaign for re-election. Provo is located approximately 60 kilometers south of Salt Lake City.
Reuters reported, citing court documents, that Robertson was charged with three serious crimes on the 8th, including threatening the President and threatening to influence, obstruct, or retaliate against federal law enforcement personnel. Investigators say that Robertson's online posts show that he possesses a long-range sniper rifle, multiple other weapons, and camouflage equipment for sniper camouflage and concealment.
According to the indictment, Robertson claimed to be a supporter of former Republican President Donald Trump and repeatedly posted on social media threatening to assassinate Biden, Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and others.
"I heard Biden is coming to Utah," Robertson posted earlier this week, "cleaning up the dust on the M24 sniper rifle."
The M24 is a US military sniper rifle with a range of up to 1000 meters.
Robertson also threatened to shoot and kill Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg in New York. This Democratic prosecutor charged Trump with 34 felonies at the end of March this year, accusing him of giving a pornographic star a "sealing fee" before the 2016 presidential election.
However, in the eyes of his neighbors, Robertson is a frail and sickly old man who needs to walk with the help of a handcrafted cane. Although he always carries a gun with him, his neighbors don't feel threatened. Robertson's personal information posted online shows that he is 74 years old.
"He can't drive from here to Salt Lake City, set up a rifle, and shoot at the president - it's 100% impossible," neighbor Andrew Mond told the Associated Press.
Rita Katz, co-founder of the International Terrorist Organization Research Institute in the United States, believes that Robertson's posts on social media show the challenges law enforcement officers face, and they must assess when such threatening statements reach the level of real threat.
In recent years, political polarization and opposition in the United States have become increasingly intense, with an increasing number of cases of political violence. In October 2020, law enforcement officers thwarted a right-wing militia member's kidnapping attempt against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
A special investigation report released by Reuters on the 9th showed that since the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, there have been 213 cases of political violence in the United States, resulting in at least 39 deaths. Approximately two-thirds of these cases were initiated by lone wolf attackers or between opposing groups during rallies and demonstrations. This proves that the United States is facing the most severe wave of political violence since the 1970s.
