FBI fatally shot Utah man after allegedly threatening Biden ahead of state visit

A Utah man was killed during an FBI raid on Wednesday morning after he allegedly made threats against President  Biden ahead of his visit to the state, according to two officials briefed on the case. 

The shootout took place at around 6:15 a.m. when the FBI tried to serve an arrest and search warrant at a home in Provo after a man presented a “knowing and willful true threat to kill or cause injury to President Biden,” the FBI office in Salt Lake City said.

The FBI did not specify what led to the man’s death but mentioned that he died from an “agent-involved shooting.”

The man, identified as Craig Robertson, 75, faced three federal charges, including one count of interstate threats, one count of threats against the president, and another count of influencing, impeding, and retaliating against federal law enforcement officers with threats, according to a felony complaint filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.

Robertson, who allegedly owns a sniper rifle and other firearms, threatened several top Democratic politicians including Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, among others. Most recently, he made threats against the president ahead of his trip to Utah on Wednesday evening. 

“HEAR BIDEN IS COMING TO UTAH,” one threat read. “DIGGING OUT MY OLD GHILLE SUIT AND CLEANING THE DUST OFF THE M24 SNIPER RIFLE. WELCOME, BUFFOON-IN-CHIEF!”

The shooting is under investigation by the FBI’s Inspection Division. 

“The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously. In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident is under review by the FBI’s Inspection Division,” the FBI said in a statement.