A Pennsylvania man known online as "Mr. Satan" has been charged with making death threats against former President Donald Trump and other high-profile figures.
According to the Daily Mail, Shawn Monper issued threats via YouTube that targeted Trump, entrepreneur Elon Musk, and ICE officials between January and April, leading to his recent arrest.
Shawn Monper, 32, of Butler, was formally charged on Wednesday in a Pittsburgh federal court. Monper stands accused of four counts of threatening to murder a US official, intending to obstruct their ability to perform official duties.
Under the alias 'Mr. Satan,' Monper used his YouTube platform to vocalize his discontent and threats spanning from January 15 to April 5. His online actions only escalated over the months, as detailed by federal authorities.
The Justice Department highlighted that Monper obtained his gun permit just days after Trump was inaugurated on January 20. Following this, he frequently boasted about his growing arsenal on social media. In February and March, he publicly claimed to have purchased several firearms and stocked up on ammunition.
During one of his live YouTube broadcasts on March 4, Monper explicitly stated his intention to kill Trump. This direct threat was part of a broader campaign of violent remarks aimed at figures associated with the Trump administration. On March 18, in a video filled with vitriol, Monper declared ICE officials "terrorist people" and called for violence against them, intensifying federal concern and surveillance of his activities.
On the first of April, Monper's rhetoric escalated when he threatened to shoot armed ICE agents on sight, referring to them as domestic terrorists. This marked a peak in his threatening activities, prompting swift action by federal authorities.
Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed the gravity with which these threats are taken by the Department of Justice. "Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment," Bondi stated.
Monper's history of threats isn't isolated to his online activities. In a chilling reminder of his dangerous potential, Trump was targeted last summer in an attempted assassination during a rally in Butler. This event led to several injuries and the death of a Trump supporter.
Currently, Monper is being held in custody and has yet to enter a plea. His detention hearing is pending, and it could determine the immediate future of his incarceration status.
In videos, Monper expressed a distorted vision of revolution, referencing the "American Revolution 2.0" and discussing an impending mass shooting as part of his personal arsenal expansion. "Eventually I'm going to do a mass shooting. I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo," he proclaimed in March on his YouTube account.
This case has stirred a broader discussion on the handling of online threats and the responsibility of platforms like YouTube in monitoring and reporting potentially dangerous content. With Monper's arrest, questions are also being raised about the effectiveness of online surveillance and the balance between free speech and public safety.
The seriousness of Monper's threats and his subsequent arrest serve as a stark reminder of the potential real-world consequences of online behavior. The federal government remains vigilant against threats to public officials and continues to enforce laws designed to protect the function of government and ensure the safety of its officials and the public.
This case will likely continue to unfold as both a legal battle in the courts and a topic of public and political debate, reflecting ongoing concerns about domestic terrorism and the influence of heated political rhetoric in digital spaces.