A 51-year-old man threatened in a phone message to kill Gov. Tim Walz over his endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.
Shawn P. Simonson, of Blaine, was charged in Ramsey County District Court with threats of violence in connection with the call he made on Aug. 2 to the governor's public State Capitol line.
Simonson was charged by warrant. He declined Thursday to respond to the allegations.
According to the complaint:
The profanity-laced message began with "So, you just endorsed Omar? ... Let me tell you something about that $6 million building you bought, that refrigerated building that you bought that is standing empty. ... We're gonna put your body in that building, and then we're gonna burn it down."
Two days later, a state trooper spoke on the phone with Simonson, who acknowledged leaving the message for the governor.
"I wasn't thinking straight when I said those stupid things," the complaint quoted Simonson as saying. He went on to say he was "feeling sick" about what he said, claimed he was no threat, needs to work on his "anger management" and was just frustrated about government restrictions connected to the coronavirus pandemic and recent urban riots.
He added that he feels that he's unable to express himself because he is banned from Facebook.
State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension authorities tied Simonson's phone number to similar threats made in April. That call prompted a visit to him from a state trooper and a Blaine police officer.
