An FBI logo is pictured on an agent’s shirt during the U.S. law enforcements raid.
Carlo Allegri | Reuters
Federal prosecutors charged a New Hampshire man with threatening to kill Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and his supporters as he campaigned in the state.
The man, 30-year-old Tyler Anderson of Dover, was arrested after he responded to a campaign text message about the meet-and-greet breakfast event by threatening to kill the candidate and “everyone who attends,” according to the Department of Justice.
“Great, another opportunity for me to blow his brains out!” Anderson allegedly wrote in response to the campaign text.
The candidate is not named in the charging documents in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire. GOP contender Vivek Ramaswamy was scheduled to appear for a breakfast town hall in Portsmouth on Monday morning.
“We are grateful to law enforcement for their swiftness and professionalism in handling this matter and pray for the safety of all Americans,” a Ramaswamy spokesperson told NBC News in a statement.
Federal agents on Saturday obtained a search warrant for Anderson’s residence to seize his Samsung Galaxy smartphone and “firearms located on the premises,” an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit. It is unclear what kind of guns were alleged to be in the residence, or if they were seized in the search.
After his arrest, Anderson admitted to police that he sent threatening messages to the candidate and “multiple other campaigns,” the affidavit said.
The criminal charge of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the DOJ.
Anderson is set to make an initial appearance in federal court in Concord on Monday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.