Trump rally threats: Kansas man charged after assassination threat claims "already mapped roofs"
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Heartland Credit Union Arena on October 19, 2026 in Park City, Kansas. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A Kansas man was arrested after repeated threats to assassinate President Donald Trump were posted on local television news stations’ social media pages, including a claim to have scouted locations where he could shoot the commander in chief during Monday’s rally near Wichita.
Big picture view:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas revealed Monday that Jaden Read was arrested on Saturday and has been charged with making threats against the president. Read, 24, was taken into custody at his home in Clearwater, which is about a half-hour away from Wichita.
What they're saying:
"Political violence and threats of political violence will not be tolerated," U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said. "The first Amendment allows for robust disagreement but there are constraints. I caution people to stay within the bounds of constitutionally protected speech".
Threat found after Crime Stoppers tip
The Justice Department indicated Read’s arrest came after authorities received a Crime Stoppers tip on Thursday about a threat posted on the local ABC affiliate KAKE’s Facebook page as a response to a preview post about Trump’s campaign rally.
The DOJ statement quoted the post as saying in a first post, "Let’s shoot Trump honestly, where’s our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life." It was immediately followed by a second comment that read, "I just got a 308 and 305 round and I’m killing this pedo."
More threats found elsewhere
Investigators also discovered comments that were left under another article by a different television news station, CBS affiliate KWCH. In the first, Read is accused of writing, "Can we shoot him in Kansas please I will kill myself."
In the second, the author hinted at looking for locations to shoot from. The Justice Department quoted the post as saying, "IK (I know) where your speech will be. Already mapped out roofs around. Finna get kirked since yall couldn’t help him."
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Dig deeper:
The final post that was quoted recalled the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, against Trump where Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired a shot that wounded the president and killed someone who was attending the rally. Crooks, who was quickly gunned down by a Secret Service sniper, had positioned himself on a rooftop before the shooting.
The post also appeared to contain a reference to Charlie Kirk by using the conservative activist’s name as a verb implying an assassination. Kirk was killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while on stage during a political rally in Orem, Utah.
Dig deeper:
Trump took the stage at the event in Park City, Kansas, on Monday to offer his support to fellow Republican candidates. Meanwhile, Read remained locked up, and he will remain in custody until his detention hearing, the DOJ stated.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Department of Justice. This story was reported from Orlando.