By Jovonne Ledet
(Source: BIN)
A Pennsylvania man has been indicted for threatening to assassinate former Vice President Kamala Harris, Fox43 reports.
Steven Hartford, 37, is accused of posting the threat under TikTok videos last July, just before Harris was formally nominated to become the Democratic presidential candidate in place of former President Joe Biden. The indictment doesn’t refer to Harris by name, but notes that the threats were directed at “the Democratic nominee,” who was a woman.
One video Hartford allegedly commented on showed footage of Harris with text that read “Will (she) be the next Democratic nominee?” In a comment under the TikTok, Hartfold allegedly wrote, “I will assassinate her if she runs for pres.,” under the profile “thealex13one13,” per the indictment.
The same TikTok profile made similar comments, including “I will assassinate her” and “5.56 waiting for her,” under other videos on the platform. “5.56” refers to the size and caliber of ammunition adopted by military forces, per the indictment.
U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus said investigators with the U.S. Secret Service traced the TikTok profile back to Hartford.
If convicted, Hartford faces up to 10 years of prison, followed by supervised release and the imposition of a special assessment, or a mandatory fee imposed on convicted defendants to fund crime victims’ assistance programs, per Fox 43.
