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A Texas man, Billy McFatridge of Fort Worth, is facing charges for allegedly threatening Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. McFatridge is accused of making a terroristic threat against a public servant, a Class A misdemeanor, after sending multiple violent messages to Talarico's campaign email and Instagram account in early August.
According to CBS Austin, the threats included a vow to "slit" Talarico's throat and drag his body through the streets. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) was alerted to these threats on August 12 by Talarico's chief of staff. Investigators traced the messages back to McFatridge using search warrants for subscriber information from Google and Meta.
McFatridge admitted to owning the accounts used to send the threats and stated he intended to scare Talarico rather than cause harm. He also revealed having access to firearms, including a rifle, pistol, and shotgun. The threats have prompted Talarico to consider increasing security at upcoming campaign events.
As reported by Yahoo News, McFatridge faces several bond conditions if released, including GPS monitoring, a mental health evaluation, and a prohibition on possessing firearms. He is also barred from contacting Talarico or his staff and from attending campaign events.
Threats against political figures are becoming increasingly common, as noted by Park Dietz, founder of Threat Assessment Group. He emphasized the importance of assessing the plausibility of threats rather than their credibility.