A young man residing in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was arrested and charged on Tuesday for threatening to carry out a mass shooting against conservative Christians should former president Donald Trump win the election, authorities announced.
Isaac Sissel, 25, allegedly sent an anonymous threat to the FBI National Threat Operations Center in West Virginia on Saturday, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Michigan said in a statement. The would-be-shooter planned to use a semi-automatic rifle in the attack.
“I shall carry out an attack against conservative christan, [sic] filth in the event trump wins the election,” the message reads in part. “I have a stolen ar15 and a target I refuse to name so I can continue to get away with my plans. Without a specific victim or ability to find the place I hid the gun, there’s not a thing the FBI can do until I complete the attack.”
After his arrest Tuesday morning, Sissel appeared in federal court in the afternoon. The FBI field office in Detroit is investigating the case, which is under the purview of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force.
“Sissel said that he wouldn’t kill Trump, but if he knew someone was going to assassinate Trump that it was his duty to not intervene,” the federal complaint states. “Sissel said that he hated conservative Christians, who he enjoyed threatening.”
The news comes on Election Day, as millions of Americans head to the polls to vote for Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris. Security measures have been increased across the U.S. ahead of potential civil unrest amid the presidential election.
As of Tuesday, the National Guard deployed more than 250 members across 15 states: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Meanwhile, some 85 National Guard personnel remain on standby in Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Washington, D.C. The personnel are tasked with cybersecurity and general operations, according to the National Guard Bureau.
Additionally, the FBI said several non-credible bomb threats were discovered at polling locations in some states, including Georgia. The bomb threats reportedly originated in Russia.
In downtown D.C., businesses boarded up their windows in anticipation of potential chaos on the night of the election. Local and federal authorities have expanded their presence in the city, while protective fencing has been erected around the White House, the Treasury Department, and Harris’s residence. Security measures are also present near Howard University, where the vice president will host her election-night party.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Capitol Police said its officers arrested a man who “smelled like fuel” and carried a torch and flare gun. The confrontation prompted the police to shut down the remaining tours in the Capitol building for the rest of the day.
During a press briefing, Capitol Police chief Thomas Manger said the suspect was being interviewed and that his entry into the Capitol had nothing to do with the election.