The FBI shot and killed a Utah man who reportedly made online threats to kill President Joe Biden and New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg while serving a warrant at his Provo home on Wednesday, according to officials.
According to charging documents obtained by NBC News, the inquiry involves the suspect allegedly making threats against politicians and public personalities.
Craig Deleeuw Robertson was named as the suspect in charging paperwork.
Robertson allegedly threatened Biden’s travel to Utah this week on Monday, stating he needed to pack his camouflage and sniper weapon.
According to the criminal documents, Robertson allegedly threatened Bragg by calling him a political hack tied to George Soros and threatening to assassinate him in a parking garage.
According to the charge documents, Robertson listed a number of additional officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland, and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
According to the criminal documents, Robertson had “intent to kill, at a minimum, D.A. Bragg and President Joe Biden.”
According to a senior administration official, Biden was briefed on the FBI operation Wednesday morning, before of scheduled activities in New Mexico. Otherwise, the White House will refer all questions to the Justice Department.
Biden is set to arrive in Utah tonight evening ahead of a public presentation on veterans health care in Salt Lake City on Thursday.
In a statement, the FBI said it “is reviewing an agent-involved shooting which occurred around 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 in Provo, Utah.”
“The incident began when special agents attempted to serve arrest and search warrants at a residence. The subject is deceased,” the FBI said.
The agency added the incident is under review by the FBI’s Inspection Division. No agents were injured.
The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement Wednesday: “The Secret Service is aware of the FBI investigation involving an individual in Utah who has exhibited threats towards a protectee.”
“While we always remain in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, this is an FBI-led effort and we would refer any related questions to the FBI,” the statement said.
In the criminal complaint, Robertson is charged with making interstate threats, influencing, hindering, and retaliating against federal law enforcement agents, and making threats against the president.
In March, the FBI National Threat Operations Centre received a report from a social media business about a user named @winston4eagles, who allegedly posted about killing Bragg. According to the charge documents, Bragg was directing a criminal investigation against former President Donald Trump at the time of the post.
According to the charge documents, the FBI’s operation centre suspected the individual with the user name winston4eagles was Robertson.
According to the charging documents, two FBI special agents conducted surveillance at Robertson’s Provo home on March 19. He was spotted “wearing a dark suit (later observed as having an AR-15 style rifle lapel pin attached), a white shirt, a red tie, and a multi-colored (possibly camouflage) hat bearing the word ‘TRUMP’ on the front,” according to the court documents.
According to the records, after visiting church, the special agents confronted Robertson about the alleged social media comment he made. Robertson told the agents he was winston4eagles and that the comment “was a dream.”
He then added, according to the charging documents, “We’re done here! Don’t return without a warrant!”
According to the charging documents, the FBI also investigated other comments made by Robertson on another social networking platform. According to the criminal documents, Robertson owns a sniper rifle and a ghille suit, has made violent threats to murder public officials, and appears to be in possession of many firearms.
Julie Idlewilde Robertson, Robertson’s daughter-in-law, told NBC News on Wednesday, “It’s a very, very difficult time for the family.” When queried about her father-in-law’s firearms, she stated that she was unaware of them.
She stated that officials have spoken with her husband and that he is attempting to obtain more information about what happened. “He’s just trying to process right now,” she said of her husband’s reaction to her father’s death. “I believe that’s all we’re willing to discuss.”
Julie Robertson said that her father-in-law liked dogs and was a woodworker who made Christmas sleighs and reindeer out of wood.
