( KRON ) — A Palo Alto man was arrested on Wednesday for making death threats to politicians over Instagram, the United States Department of Justice said.
According to a criminal complaint, Aaditya Chand sent direct messages on Instagram to a U.S. Representative saying, “I’m gonna shoot up ur office tomorrow u Palestinian scum,” and “Get ready.”
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Chand, 22, also threatened to shoot a Florida state representative at an unknown date. The DOJ says he sent an Instagram message saying, “I’m gonna bring a gun to ur office tomorrow and shoot u and ur staff.”
Chand was charged with transmitting in interstate or foreign commerce a communication containing a threat to injure a person, which is a felony. The DOJ did not name either of the threatened politicians, as they are considered victims.
If convicted, he faces a maximum charge of up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The charges came at a time when political violence is a talking point in the United States. Former president Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt over the summer, and locally, Paul Pelosi was injured in his own home by an intruder in 2022.