A Michigan man has been apprehended by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on allegations of threatening to execute Christians if former President Donald Trump emerges victorious in the 2024 election, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The suspect was identified after a social media platform, Reddit, flagged a user with the handle “ShootUpTrumpRally” on September 23. The same user was found to have posted under other aliases such as “/WillShootTrumpSoon,” “PlanningToShootTrump,” and “PlanningToKillTrump.”
Investigations revealed that the IP address associated with these accounts was traced back to the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. The FBI was able to link the IP address to a phone number registered to 25-year-old Isaac Sissel. On a recent Saturday, the FBI received an anonymous tip about a threat directed at conservative Christians. The message, allegedly from Sissel, stated that he planned to attack conservative Christians if Trump won the election, claiming to have a stolen AR-15 and an undisclosed target.
The investigators were able to trace the threat back to Sissel’s IP address and located him at a hotel in Canton. Upon consenting to a room search, no weapons were found. According to the affidavit, Sissel expressed his disdain for former President Trump, stating that he was a threat and should have been assassinated. He also claimed that he would not kill Trump himself, but would not intervene if he knew someone who planned to do so.
Sissel reportedly expressed his belief that left-wing political groups were not violent enough compared to their conservative counterparts. He also stated that he would join Antifa protests if necessary and expressed his displeasure with a Christian rehab facility, allegedly harassing its patients.
Investigators have noted that Sissel appears to be largely transient, having resided in both Washington state and New York. His criminal history includes stalking and harassment, according to the FBI. Sissel was arrested on charges of sending a threatening communication and is set to have a detention hearing on Thursday.