Shawn Monper, Butler, PA - Arrested for assassination plot targeting President Trump

Butler, PA Man Arrested for Threatening President Trump

BUTLER, Pa. — A 32-year-old Butler, Pennsylvania, man, Shawn Monper, was arrested by the FBI on April 9, 2025, for allegedly making online threats to assassinate President Donald J. Trump, other U.S. officials, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The arrest, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti, marks another troubling chapter for Butler, the same town where Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in July 2024.

According to a federal criminal complaint, the FBI’s National Threat Operations Section received an emergency disclosure on April 8, 2025, regarding threatening comments posted on YouTube by a user identified as “Mr Satan.” Investigators traced the account to Monper’s residence in Butler, confirming activity between January 15 and April 5, 2025. The complaint alleges Monper wrote, “I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office,” in February 2025, followed by, “Eventually im going to do a mass shooting,” in March, and later, “I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo.” These statements were paired with explicit threats against Trump, ICE agents, and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, per court documents cited by the Butler Eagle.

The FBI’s investigation revealed Monper obtained a firearms permit shortly after Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, heightening concerns about his intentions. On April 9, an FBI SWAT team, assisted by Butler Township Police, apprehended Monper near Morton Avenue. He faces four counts of violating federal law by threatening U.S. officials and law enforcement, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 14, 2025, in Pittsburgh federal court.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi praised the swift action, stating, “The FBI and Butler Township Police Department identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans” (Justice.gov, April 11, 2025). Monper remains in custody pending further proceedings, with authorities emphasizing that a criminal complaint is an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case has reignited scrutiny of Butler, a small town still grappling with its association with the July 2024 rally shooting, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks wounded Trump and killed one attendee.

Sources: Justice.gov, April 11, 2025; Butler Eagle, April 11, 2025.

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