By [基特·马厄] | 3小时前 | 发布于 2026年2月7日，美国东部时间下午6:58
布伦丹·斯迈洛夫斯基/法新社/盖蒂图片社
美国司法部在新闻稿中表示，一名33岁的俄亥俄州男子于周五被联邦大陪审团起诉，罪名是威胁用自动武器杀害副总统JD·万斯。当前美国正面临政治暴力和威胁事件日益增多的严峻局势。
根据起诉书，托莱多市的香农·马瑟（Shannon Mathre）被指控于1月21日左右称：“我要找出副总统的行踪，用我的M14自动步枪杀了他。”
起诉书还指控马瑟传播儿童性虐待材料。
司法部副部长托德·布兰奇（Todd Blanche）周六在X平台上发文称：“在逮捕这名涉嫌威胁要谋杀美国副总统的男子时——这本身就是一项严重罪行——联邦执法人员发现他还持有儿童性虐待材料。”
司法部长帕姆·邦迪（Pam Bondi）也在声明中表示：“我们的律师正在坚决起诉这起针对万斯副总统的令人发指的威胁案件。”
马瑟的辩护律师尼尔·S·麦克埃尔罗伊（Neil S. McElroy）称指控万斯生命安全的罪名“是一场闹剧”。
他在向美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）发表的声明中表示：“虽然对马瑟先生的指控可能有助于政府构建针对政府成员的暴力威胁叙事，但这一具体指控——就马瑟先生及其行为而言——完全是一场闹剧。”
马瑟表示，对起诉书第二项关于儿童性虐待材料的指控他无法置评，“因为政府尚未提供任何相关文件”。
副总统办公室将CNN的置评请求转交给了美国特勤局。
特勤局在给CNN的声明中称：“调查不仅包括被告在网上的言论和对他人的威胁，还包括他的实际行动和行为。”该局还表示，“与联邦调查局（FBI）和俄亥俄州警方的合作伙伴一道，我们已关注此案数月。”
特勤局发言人安东尼·古列尔米（Anthony Guglielmi）表示：“作为一个社会，我们必须坚决零容忍政治暴力。此人现在必须在联邦法院为自己的行为负责。”
马瑟威胁杀害万斯的罪名最高可判处5年监禁，罚款25万美元。如果儿童性虐待材料指控成立，他还将面临最高20年监禁和25万美元罚款。
美国司法部称，马瑟仍被拘留，周三将举行拘留听证会。
这些指控正值特朗普政府其他官员近几个月来面临威胁，而管理对暴力的恐惧已成为政治的核心议题。
就在上个月，当局拘留了一名在辛辛那提万斯家中“造成包括砸窗在内的财产损坏”的男子。
本周早些时候，当局逮捕了一名男子，指控其试图在管理和预算局局长拉斯·沃夫特（Russ Vought）家中实施谋杀。美国司法部去年12月还起诉了一名男子，指控其向总统特使、肯尼迪中心主席理查德·格雷内尔（Richard Grenell）发送威胁短信。
近期的政治暴力事件再次引发了如何最好地保障公职人员安全的长期争议。去年6月，明尼苏达州州议员梅丽莎·霍特曼（Melissa Hortman）及其丈夫马克（Mark）在家中被枪杀。去年9月，保守派活动家查理·柯克（Charlie Kirk）在犹他谷大学的活动中遇刺身亡。
美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）的阿莱娜·特伦（Alayna Treene）、阿莉娜·法亚兹（Aleena Fayaz）和卡尼塔·伊耶（Kaanita Iyer）对此报道有贡献。
Ohio man charged with Vance death threat amid rising US political violence
By [Kit Maher] | 3 hr ago | PUBLISHED Feb 7, 2026, 6:58 PM ET
US Vice President JD Vance speaks behind bulletproof glass during the 53rd annual March for Life rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2026.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
A federal grand jury indicted a 33-year-old Ohio man on Friday with threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance with an automatic weapon, the Justice Department said in a news release, as the US grapples with rising political violence and threats.
Shannon Mathre of Toledo is accused of saying, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him” on or around January 21, according to the indictment.
The indictment further alleges Mathre distributed child sexual abuse materials.
“While arresting this man for allegedly threatening to murder the Vice President of the United States, a serious crime in and of itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child sexual abuse materials,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posted to X on Saturday.
Attorney General Pam Bondi also said in a statement, “Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance.”
Neil S. McElroy, an attorney representing Mathre, called the count threatening Vance’s life “a farce.”
“While the charge against Mr. Mathre may buttress the administration’s narrative regarding threats of violence aimed at members of the administration, this particular charge — as it relates to Mr. Mathre and his conduct — is a farce,” he said in a statement to CNN.
Mathre said he cannot comment on the second count of the indictment regarding child sexual abuse materials, “as the government has not provided any” documents associated with the charge.
The vice president’s office referred CNN to the US Secret Service for comment.
The Secret Service said in a statement to CNN that “the investigation included not only what the defendant said online and to people, but also his actions and behavior,” adding that it has “been following this for several months with our partners at the FBI and in Ohio.”
“As a society, we must remain united in our zero tolerance for political violence. This individual will now answer for his actions to a federal court,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.
Mathre faces a maximum five-year penalty and a fine of $250,000 for threatening to kill Vance. Additionally, he faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence for the child sexual abuse materials charge and a $250,000 fine, if he is found guilty.
Mathre remains in custody and has a detention hearing Wednesday, the Justice Department said.
The charges come as other Trump administration officials have faced threats in recent months and as managing the fear of violence has become a central feature of politics.
Just last month, authorities detained a man “for causing property damage, including breaking windows” at Vance’s home in Cincinnati.
Earlier this week, authorities arrested a man for attempted murder after allegedly targeting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought at his home, and the Justice Department in December charged a man with allegedly sending a threatening text message to presidential envoy and Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell.
Recent acts of political violence have reignited the long-standing question of how to best keep public officials safe. Last June, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home. In September, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University.
CNN’s Alayna Treene, Aleena Fayaz and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
