Minnesota labor union manager arrested and accused of making threats of violence toward State Capitol

CBS News

2 days ago

Safety at top of mind at Minnesota Capitol after lawmaker shootings
Safety at top of mind at Minnesota Capitol after lawmaker shootings
Safety at top of mind at Minnesota Capitol after lawmaker shootings
A Minnesota labor union manager has been charged after he allegedly made threats of violence toward the State Capitol.
41-year-old Jonathan Bohn, a Woodbury, Minnesota, resident, faces charges of allegedly making threats of violence with reckless disregard for risk.
According to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Carver County court, Bohn sent the threatening text to a Waconia resident Wednesday night.
Jonathan Bohn, 41.
Carver County Sheriff's Office
Court documents stated that some of the text messages said, "Today, I bought 500 bullets. I can't wait to shoot one of you motherf****** in the face," and "Excited to have my gun at the Capitol and blow somebody's f****** face off."
Another text stated, "Excited to have my gun at the Capitol and blow somebody's f****** face off."
Law enforcement officials say they found an unloaded firearm locked in a case in Bohn's garage while executing a search warrant of his house.
The resident who received the text messages, whose identity wasn't revealed by police, told investigators he hadn't spoken with Bohn for a "considerable amount of time" due to political differences.
A judge on Friday set Bohn's bail at $100,000 for cash bail and $1 million for non-cash bail. Conditions for the bail include having no contact with the man who received Bohn's text messages, staying at least half a mile from the State Capitol, surrendering any permit to carry a concealed weapon, no use or possession of firearms or dangerous weapons and not being able to leave Minnesota without permission.
Bohn is the director of public affairs at the Inter Faculty Organization, a labor union that represents faculty at the seven Minnesota State universities.
The union said in a written statement Friday that Bohn has been placed on administrative leave.
"We are monitoring developments closely, cooperating as needed with law enforcement and will continue to keep our members informed," the union said.
According to the statement, the group said it condemns political violence and threats of violence "in any form."
Meanwhile, a person was arrested and is being held at Carver County Jail for allegedly sending Rep. Jim Nash a text message that officials say was "threatening in nature.
The arrest comes less than a week after Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot inside their home in Champlin around 90 minutes earlier but survived.
As of Friday, the senator was in the hospital, and his wife has since been released.
Vance Boelter is facing six federal and four state charges in the shootings. He was taken into custody Sunday night near his Sibley County home after a manhunt that lasted over 36 hours.
Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday said the Minnesota Legislature should reconsider allowing people to carry firearms inside the State Capitol. Rob Doar, senior vice president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, in a social media post said that doing so won't prevent bad actors from committing violence. Minnesota law allows open carry handguns at the Capitol with a permit to carry.
contributed to this report.