Shannon Mathre accused of threatening JD Vance, possessing child abuse materials

A man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance was also found in possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Shannon Mathre, 33, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested Friday on suspicion of threatening to kill Vance during the vice president’s visit to northwest Ohio in January, the DOJ said.

Mathre is accused of saying: “I’m going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be, use my M14 automatic pistol and kill him.”

The DOJ did not provide specific details about when and where the threat was made. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a press release: “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice. » He suggests the threat could have been made online.

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“Our lawyers are vigorously pursuing this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Bondi added.

Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks at Royalston Square in Minneapolis on January 22, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

US intelligence arrested Mathre on February 6. A federal grand jury has since returned an indictment charging Mathre with making threats against Vance.

While investigating the alleged threats, federal agents found “several digital files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)” in Mathre’s possession, according to prosecutors. Subsequently, a grand jury found that “from approximately December 31, 2025, through approximately January 21, 2026,” Mathre engaged in the receipt and distribution of CSAM.

Vice President JD Vance speaks with Matthew Boyle, Breitbart News Washington bureau chief, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, November 20, 2025, in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

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“In arresting this man for allegedly threatening to kill the Vice President of the United States, a serious crime in itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child pornography,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thank you to the federal, state and local partners working together to bring justice to this depraved individual.”

David Toepfer, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said “violent threats” like the one allegedly made against Vance “will not be tolerated.” He promised that those who made these threats would “face swift justice and prosecution.”

Mathre first appeared on Feb. 6 before a U.S. magistrate judge in the Northern District of Ohio, the DOJ said, adding that he remains in custody until his scheduled detention hearing on Feb. 11.

If convicted, Mathre faces up to five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for threatening Vance, according to the DOJ. Additionally, if convicted of the CSAM charge, Mathre could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison and fined up to $250,000.

Vice President JD Vance will attend the 2025 G20 summit in place of President Donald Trump. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

LAWYER FOR SUSPECT IN VANCE HOME VANDALISM RULES POSSIBLE MOTIVATION

Vance has faced several death threats and his Ohio home was vandalized last month.

William DeFoor, 26, was arrested in early January for vandalizing Vance’s home. DeFoor was charged with vandalism, obstructing official business, criminal damage or endangerment and criminal trespass.

“I appreciate everyone’s good wishes regarding the attack on our home. As far as I know, some crazy person tried to break in by hammering on the windows. I’m grateful to the Secret Service and the Cincinnati Police Department for their quick response. We weren’t even home because we had already returned to DC,” Vance wrote on X.

In another incident in January, Marco Antonio Aguayo, 22, of Anaheim, was also arrested after allegedly making multiple threatening comments on Disney’s official Instagram account referencing pipe bombs, imminent bloodshed and violent action against “corrupt politicians” on July 12, the same day Vance and his family were visiting and staying at the resort.

William DeFoor, 26, appears in court Tuesday, January 6, 2026, on non-federal charges related to the vandalism of Vice President J.D. Vance’s home in Cincinnati. (WXIX)

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Additionally, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that a volunteer radio show host resigned after authorities confirmed they were aware of a message threatening Vance on the left-dominated social media app Bluesky. The person revealed that he was the host of a radio show on WUML, funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

The university told Fox News Digital that it alerted authorities as soon as it learned of the post. The Secret Service confirmed to Fox News Digital that they were aware of the post. The Haverhill Police Department referred Fox News Digital to the FBI, which declined to comment.

Stephen Sorace, Alexandra Koch and Peter D’Abrosca of Fox News Digital and Matt Finn of Fox News contributed to this report.