A Texas man has been arrested for making death threats to media figures including Laura Loomer.
Posting on X, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office had obtained an arrest warrant for Nicholas Ray of Spring, Texas, after it “was notified of multiple, specific death threats made to Jewish conservative media members who live in Florida.”
Loomer revealed she was one of the people who had been “targeted” in another post on X.
Newsweek reached out to Loomer and the Florida Attorney General’s Office by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
The threats come at a time of heightened worries about increased political polarization in the U.S. These concerns were sparked especially after the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, fatally shot at Utah Valley University in September.
The threats to Jewish media figures also come amid concerns about the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. that has occurred in tandem with conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to the advocacy group the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), there was a 361 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. from October 2023 to January 2024.
What To Know
Writing on X, Loomer said she had received “credible threats made against” her life “and the lives of several other Jewish and pro-Israel conservatives.”
She said “the threats were targeted” at Jewish, Trump-supporting conservatives who live in Florida.
“I became one of Nicholas Ray’s targets because he was radicalized by the false accusations that I am a foreign agent, and then he proceeded to make a serious and credible threat against my life,” she said.
Conservative entrepreneur Seth Dillon posted a screenshot of a tweet from an account which said “we’re gonna get you I promise maybe not today or tomorrow but you’re living on borrowed time and you know it.”
He claimed Ray posted the tweet and that he was 28 and the individual facing charges. An official at the Attorney General’s office confirmed to Newsweek that the X account, which has 36 followers and has tweeted 577 times was linked to Ray.
Authorities have not yet released much information about Ray, other than that he came from Spring, Texas, and will be extradited to Florida.
Montgomery County Jail records confirm Ray is a 28-year-old white male.
His X account, reviewed by Newsweek, has shared a number of posts criticizing Israel as well as anti-Trump and anti-Republican content. He also posted content claiming Israel was behind Kirk’s assassination.
On X, Uthmeier said that Ray was “now in custody” and would face charges in Florida of “extortion, written threats to kill, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.”
What People Are Saying
Writing on X, Uthmeier said: “Last week, our Office of Statewide Prosecution was notified of multiple, specific death threats made to Jewish conservative media members who live in Florida. After an investigation, we obtained an arrest warrant for Nicholas Ray of Spring, TX. Ray is now in custody and will be extradited to Florida to face charges of extortion, written threats to kill, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.”
Karol Markowicz, a Jewish columnist at New York Post and Fox News, wrote on X: “I’m one of the people he threatened and it is incredible to see my Attorney General’s Office take this seriously.”
Florida Republican Randy Fine, who is Jewish, wrote on X: “I want to thank James Uthmeier for taking this seriously. In my time in public offices in Florida, I have been subject to two credible death threats that the amazing team at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has had to investigate and arrest.
“One of my wishes was for our State Attorneys to speak more loudly that in Florida, if you make threats, you will end up in prison for a very long time. I am glad to see that is exactly what is happening here.”
Loomer wrote on X: “I want to thank Attorney General Uthmeier for his strong leadership in addressing political violence, and the officers and detectives at FDLE who worked diligently to protect me and others who were subjected to these violent and credible threats against our lives.!
What Happens Next
Ray is in custody pending the charges against him, Uthmeier said.
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