Virginia man charged with threatening to kill Kamala Harris and other elected officials

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WASHINGTON, DC: A Virginia man named Frank Lucio Carillo was charged with making several death threats against Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Carillo, a resident of Winchester, Virginia, posted a string of violent threats about Harris in July while using an alias 'joemadarats1' on the conservative social media site GETTR, according to court records. He also made threats against President Joe Biden, FBI Director Christopher Wray, several Arizona officials, and others.

Frank Lucio Carillo faces charges for threatening to kill VP Harris

Investigators reportedly said that Frank Lucio Carillo had made 19 posts about Kamala Harris, including threats to shoot, stab, and burn her alive. The 66-year-old man made his first federal court appearance on Monday, August 5.

In one of his posts after Harris launched her presidential campaign, Carillo said that if she’s elected "I will shoot and kill everyone" who tried to stop him, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators said two guns, a handgun that he purchased in 2023, an RF-15 rifle, and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found in his home.

In total, Carillo reportedly made 4,359 posts or replies targeting public officials, as per authorities. The Justice Department mentioned that in a February post, 'joemadarats1' said he had his "AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED."

Carillo also commented about shooting Muslims and said illegal immigrants "should be shot in the head quickly" if they show up to vote, and added, "If I see any of them I'll kill them," according to the complaint.

US Attorney Christopher R Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia mentioned in a statement that Carillo's actions went beyond political discourse, according to NBC News. 

He wrote, "Open political discourse is a cornerstone of our American experience. We can disagree. We can argue and we can debate. However, when those disagreements cross the line to threats of violence, law enforcement must step in."

Kamala Harris to make VP pick announcement August 6

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is set to announce her Vice President pick with a video release on Tuesday, August 6, before they appear together at a rally in Philadelphia to start a five-day tour of the swing states, according to the Guardian.

Reuters reported on Monday that the search had come down to two governors - Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota. Harris interviewed them along with the Arizona senator Mark Kelly at her Washington DC residence.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg were also reported to be on her shortlist. 

Minnesota is not a battleground state, but Walz is more popular with younger, progressive voters than Kelly or Shapiro, the latter of whom has come under intense criticism for his views on pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses and Israel's war in Gaza.