ST. PAUL, Minn. — Online death threats to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan were discovered August 27 by a criminal intelligence analyst at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This was the day of the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. The analyst advised the Capitol’s security detail. A state trooper then made telephone contact with Caden J. Sluder, 22, of Oglesby, Illinois, who admitted to being the perpetrator. Based on internet tracking tools and Sluder’s admission, an arrest warrant was issued. According to court documents supporting the warrant, the trooper said Sluder called the threats a joke. He said he merely was expressing his freedom of speech. He told the trooper he had no intention of acting on the threats. He noted he lives far away. Oglesby, in mid-state Illinois west of Chicago, is 335 miles from the Minnesota’s capital city of St. Paul. Sluder told the trooper he was “pissed off” that Christians were killed and that Flanagan previously wore a “trans shirt” in public. Sluder apparently was motivated by the fact the Annunciation Church shooter was transgender and that Flanagan’s human rights creed includes transgender people. Sluder was quoted as telling the trooper: “It doesn’t fucking help when trans are killing people like that. Flanagan’s wearing a shirt like that, it’s just not cool.” Even so, Sluder apologized repeatedly, the trooper said. Meanwhile, a manhunt for Sluder has been unsuccessful.
Legal consequence
Minnesota law explicitly forbids threats against public officials. Penalties are severe, including five years in prison and fines of $10,000. Threats also can lead to federal prosecution.