Online threats of violence lead to arrests after Charlie Kirk’s killing

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The killing of Charlie Kirk has been followed by a string of arrests across the U.S. over alleged threats of violence in response to the assassination of the conservative activist.

A Texas man who authorities say expressed support for Kirk is facing federal charges after making alleged threats online this month to shoot up a Pride parade in the city of Abilene as an act of revenge for Kirk’s killing. And in El Paso, a woman is facing an arson charge after authorities say she tried to set a church on fire and left threatening messages where a vigil was going to be held to honor Kirk.

Law enforcement in Utah and Minnesota have made similar arrests.

Social media lit up in the days after Kirk’s Sept. 10 death with people mourning his loss — some of whom said they disagreed with Kirk’s ideological stances but supported his right to voice them — as well as those celebrating it.

Alex del Carmen, a criminologist and professor at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, said the rise in threats in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing is “dangerous and self-defeating.”

“The First Amendment protects even harsh, unpopular speech, but it does not protect valid threats,” del Carmen said. “When people cross that line, accountability is essential, and so is empathy for those who are grieving.”

In Abilene, an FBI agent interviewed the man, who allegedly acknowledged making the posts and possessing a firearm but denied he was going to take any action or shoot participants, according to the affidavit. The parade was held without incident the day after the man’s arrest.

In a case in Minnesota, in the same county where the former speaker of the Minnesota House and her husband were assassinated this summer, a man has been charged with four counts of terroristic threats after authorities say he referred to Kirk as his “friend” and threatened violence against several people.

“These threats are chilling and extremely graphic,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, in Minnesota, said in a statement. “We will not tolerate threats of politically motivated violence and will do everything in our power to hold those who make these threats accountable.”

In Utah, a Pennsylvania man was arrested for threat of terrorism after authorities say he posted a threatening video aimed at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was killed.