Virginia State Police investigating death threat against McAuliffe
The Virginia State Police confirmed on Wednesday they are investigating a death threat made Tuesday against gubernatorial candidate and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D).
"The Virginia State Police is in receipt of the threat and has forwarded it to our Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Team, as is done with any email of an alarming/threatening nature that is received by a candidate running for elected office. No arrest or charges have been placed at this time," Corinne Geller, public relations director for the Virginia State Police, said in a statement.
Due to the threat, McAuliffe was assigned protection at an event in Charlottesville on Wednesday. Gubernatorial candidates do not normally receive security in Virginia.
The Hill obtained a copy of the emailed threat, which read, "If I get the opportunity I will shoot Terry! MAGA."
A spokesperson from McAuliffe's campaign said in a statement, "This is the type of violent, dangerous behavior we've come to expect from supporters of Donald Trump."
The campaign of McAuliffe's Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin, also condemned the threat.
"Political violence is a threat to our democracy and is absolutely unacceptable," said Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter.
The Youngkin campaign has also had to contend with safety issues as well in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Last week, staffers discovered that windows at the campaign headquarters had been broken and signs were damaged, according to a source familiar with the incident. The campaign immediately reported the incident to the Fairfax County Sheriff.
The source also said that the campaign reported a number of incidents involving property damage in the parking garage at the campaign's headquarters to Virginia State Police.
News of the incidents and the threat come less than two weeks out from Election Day in the commonwealth on Nov. 2.
