FBI fatally shoots man in Utah who allegedly threatened Biden, Alvin Bragg and others
Agents were attempting to serve a search warrant at the Provo home of the suspect when he was shot and killed.
By Andrew Blankstein, Tom Winter, Phil McCausland and Antonio Planas
The FBI on Wednesday shot and killed a Utah man who allegedly made online threats to kill President Joe Biden and New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg while serving a warrant at his Provo home, officials said.
The investigation involved the suspect making alleged threats against politicians and public figures, according to charging documents obtained by NBC News.
The suspect was identified in charging documents as Craig Deleeuw Robertson.
On Monday, Robertson allegedly made a threat referencing Biden’s trip to Utah this week, saying he needed to prepare his camouflage and sniper rifle.
Robertson’s alleged threat to Bragg included calling him a political hack linked to George Soros and plotting to assassinate him in a parking garage, the charging documents said.
The charging documents said that Robertson mentioned many other politicians, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Robertson had “intent to kill, at a minimum, D.A. Bragg and President Joe Biden,” according to the charging documents.
A senior administration official tells NBC News that Biden was briefed on the FBI raid Wednesday morning, ahead of scheduled events in New Mexico. The White House is otherwise referring all questions to the Justice Department.
Biden is scheduled to be in Utah this evening ahead of a public event on Thursday in Salt Lake City on veterans health care.
In a statement, the FBI said it “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 FBI said.
The agency added the incident is under review by the FBI’s Inspection Division. No agents were injured.
The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement Wednesday: “The Secret Service is aware of the FBI investigation involving an individual in Utah who has exhibited threats towards a protectee.”
“While we always remain in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, this is an FBI-led effort and we would refer any related questions to the FBI,” the statement said.
In the felony complaint against Robertson, he is accused of interstate threats, influencing, impeding and retaliating against federal law enforcement officers by threat and threats against the president.
The FBI National Threat Operations Center received a tip in March from a social media company pertaining to a user called @winston4eagles, which allegedly showed the user posting about killing Bragg. At the time of the post, Bragg was overseeing a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump, the charging documents said.
The FBI’s operation center believed the person with the winston4eagles user name to be Robertson, according to the charging documents.
On March 19, the charging documents said two special agents with the FBI conducted surveillance at Robertson’s address in Provo. He was seen “wearing a dark suit (later observed as having an AR-15 style rifle lapel pin attached), a white shirt, a red tie, and a multi-colored (possibly camouflage) hat bearing the word ‘TRUMP’ on the front,” the charging documents said.
After attending church, the special agents confronted Robertson about the comment he allegedly made on social media, the documents said. Robertson confirmed to the agents he was winston4eagles and responded that the comment “was a dream.”
He then added, according to the charging documents, “We’re done here! Don’t return without a warrant!”
The charging documents also said the FBI reviewed other comments made by Robertson on another social media platform. Robertson owns a sniper rifle and a ghille suit, has made violent threats to murder public officials and appeared to possess multiple firearms, according to the charging documents.
Robertson’s daughter in-law, Julie Idlewilde Robertson, told NBC News on Wednesday, “It’s a very, very difficult time for the family.” When asked about her father in-law’s weapons, she said she didn’t know about that.
She said authorities have spoken to her husband, and he is trying to gather more information about what occurred. She said of how her husband was handing her father’s death, “He’s just trying to process right now. I think that’s all we’re willing to talk about.”
Julie Robertson added that her father in-law loved dogs and was a woodworker, making wooden sleighs and reindeer for Christmas.
