A Texas woman was arrested and charged after allegedly threatening to kill District Judge Tanya Chutkan, Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and others.
Abigial Jo Shry, 43, of Alvin, Texas, is accused of calling Chutkan’s chambers earlier this month, calling her a racial slur and threatening “to kill anyone who went after former President Trump,” according to an affidavit from the Department of Homeland Security. Shry is also accused of threatening all Democrats in Washington and members of the LGBTQ community.
Chutkan is the judge overseeing the federal charges against Trump accusing him of trying to steal the 2020 presidential election from President Joe Biden. She was randomly assigned to the case.
“You are in our sights, we want to kill you,” Shry allegedly said.
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“If Trump doesn’t get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly,” the caller added, also calling Chutkan an expletive, and threatening Chutkan’s family.
Law enforcement officials determined that the caller’s number was issued to a phone owned by Shry, and, when they went to her home last week, she admitted that she made the call to the judge’s chambers.
Shry was appointed a federal public defender in the case, and she has a bond hearing set for Sept. 13. USA TODAY has reached out to the Houston federal public defender office.
USA TODAY has also reached out to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and Jackson Lee’s office for comment.