Man charged with threatening to kill JD Vance, possessing child abuse files

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - An Ohio man was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this week for threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance.

The Justice Department reported that 33-year-old Shannon Mathre has been charged with threatening to kill Vance while the vice president was visiting Ohio last month.

According to the indictment, Mathre said he was going to find Vance and “use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.”

Mathre was arrested by the Secret Service on Friday.

During Mathre’s Friday court appearance, his attorney, Neil McElroy, said Mathre’s health challenges made it unlikely he could have carried out the threat.

“Anyone that spends any time in a room with Mr. Mathre or has any knowledge of his condition -- physical condition, mental condition -- can see that it’s a farce,” McElroy said.

McElroy did not give any details about Mathre’s health challenges but said Mathre has “some mental disabilities and a variety of other conditions.”

Nonetheless, the DOJ and the Secret Service took the threats seriously and launched an investigation, resulting in Mathre’s arrest.

“Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

While investigating the alleged threats, the DOJ reported that investigators found that Mathre was in possession of digital files depicting child sexual abuse.

According to the DOJ, Mathre both received and distributed sexually explicit images involving minors between Dec. 31, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026.

This second charge carries a stiffer possible penalty, the Associated Press reported. Should Mathre be convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. In comparison, the charges Mathre faces regarding the threat to Vance carry a five-year maximum sentence.

“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”