Man fatally shot during FBI raid in Utah was posting Biden threats ahead of visit
A man was shot and killed in Utah on Wednesday as the FBI attempted to serve a search warrant in the city of Provo.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News the individual who was killed allegedly posted threats online against President Biden, his family, and Barack Obama.
"The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously. In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident is under review by the FBI’s inspection division," the agency said in a statement.
The deceased has been identified as Craig Deleeuw Robertson, according to a federal complaint obtained by ABC News.
The complaint charged Robertson with three federal counts including threatening a president, and included online posts from Robertson allegedly threatening to shoot the president with a sniper rifle.
President Biden lands in Utah on Wednesday afternoon as part of a tour of southwestern states.
“I hear Biden is coming to Utah,” Robertson wrote in one social media post obtained by Bellingcat. “Digging out my old ghillie [camouflage] suit and cleaning the dust off the M24 sniper rifle. Welcome, buffoon-in-chief!”
Another post seemed to reference that Robertson was aware he had alerted officials to his presence.
“Hey FBI, you still monitoring my social media?” Robertson wrote. “Checking so I can be sure to have a loaded gun handy in case you drop by again.”
The Utah man also allegedly threatened other officials like US Attorney General Merrick Garland and Rep Adam Schiff.
The White House has been briefed about the threat, ABC News reports.
FBI agents contacted Robertson in March, Fox 13 reports, and the Utah man claimed his threats were “all a dream.”
The president’s trip to Utah is his first since 2016.
On Thursday, he will speak at a Veterans Affairs medical centre in Salt Lake City to highlight the signing of the PACT Act, an expansion of benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals, according to KSL.
The Utah visit brings to a close a Southwest tour that has seen Mr Biden visit Arizona and New Mexico.
In Arizona, Mr Biden declared a new national monument near the Grand Canyon.
