An individual who had been posting threats on social media, including against President Joe Biden, was shot and killed by FBI agents on Wednesday, as indicated by court documents.
The FBI had been in the process of serving a warrant at the residence of Craig Deleeuw Robertson in Provo, Utah, around 6:15 a.m. when the shooting occurred, according to The Associated Press.
Robertson was armed at the time of the confrontation, as confirmed by two law enforcement sources who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation.
Based on court records, Robertson had been charged under seal on Tuesday with three felony counts, including making threats against the president and FBI agents who were investigating him.
The shooting took place just hours before President Biden’s scheduled visit to Utah, during which he would be discussing the PACT Act, legislation aimed at expanding veterans’ benefits.
Court documents reviewed by Newsweek revealed that Robertson had posted on Facebook that he intended to prepare his “M24 sniper rifle” after learning of Biden’s visit to Utah.
An FBI special agent stated in the criminal complaint that Robertson had “knowingly and willfully made a threat to take the life of and to inflict bodily harm upon” President Biden.
Robertson’s social media posts suggested he possessed multiple firearms, including a long-range sniper rifle, and camouflage gear referred to as a “ghillie suit.”
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by journalist Aric Toler, Robertson allegedly wrote, “Perhaps Utah will become famous this week as the place a sniper took out Biden the Marxist.”
Identifying himself as a “MAGA Trumper” in at least one post, a reference to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, Robertson was a registered Republican according to records obtained by Newsweek.
Court documents outlined that he had also made threats against Vice President Kamala Harris and law enforcement officials involved in legal cases related to Trump, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The FBI’s investigation into Robertson was initiated by a tip about a threat he made against Bragg on Trump’s Truth Social platform in March. Robertson mentioned he would be waiting in a courthouse parking garage with a suppressed weapon, and his account was later suspended from Truth Social.
Following this, FBI agents visited Robertson’s residence and encountered him wearing a Trump hat and an “AR-15 style rifle lapel pin.” Robertson claimed his threat was a “dream.”
Subsequently, Robertson posted on Facebook, “To my friends in the Federal Bureau of Idiots: I know you’re reading this and you have no idea how close your agents came to ‘violent eradication.'”
In another post, he mentioned the FBI monitoring his social media and his readiness with a loaded gun if they were to visit again.
The FBI released a statement saying, “The FBI is reviewing an agent-involved shooting which occurred around 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, in Provo, Utah.
The incident began when special agents attempted to serve arrest and search warrants at a residence. The subject is deceased.” The statement highlighted that the incident would be reviewed in accordance with FBI policy.
Craig Robertson, from Provo, UT, was killed today by the FBI during a raid after he made threats against Biden. Here are some of his recent Facebook posts — all just in the last two days.https://t.co/j3Lpn2TKfI pic.twitter.com/0BhZo3VM9e
— Aric Toler (@AricToler) August 9, 2023
