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Hawaii News

Tennessee man arrested over threats to Hirono, Gabbard

WASHINGTON >> Capitol Police and FBI agents arrested a Tennessee man Friday for allegedly threatening to kill Hawaii U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Middle District of Tennessee announced that Keahiokahouna Stewart, 36, of Murfreesboro, was taken into custody and charged with “threatening to murder a United States official and transmitting in interstate commerce, a communication containing a threat.”

Stewart began reaching out to Gabbard and Hirono’s offices in November 2013. He “falsely believed” that while he was stationed in South Korea in 2002, his Social Security number was also issued to another soldier, according to news release about his arrest. Stewart demanded full disability benefits and $50 billion from the Social Security Administration.

According to the affidavit from Capitol Police, a Hirono staffer contacted Capitol Police after Stewart visited the office on May 29, 2015. He allegedly said that he did not care that office policy wouldn’t allow him to leave bags behind in the office, at which point he walked out.

Stewart initially said during an interview with Capitol Police after that incident that he would shoot a senator. But he dialed back the threat to say he would go to the news media.

Stewart began posting threatening videos online in August. On Aug. 19, he sent an email saying that he was going to fly from Nashville to Honolulu on Nov. 1 and shoot people at a federal building. According to the news release, Hirono and Gabbard were his specific targets.

According to Hawaii News Now, Stewart is from Wahiawa, where his parents still live, and authorities executed a search warrant at their home Friday in search of guns.

Stewart could face a maximum of 10 years in prison for the first charge of threatening to kill a government official, and up to five years for communicating a threat over interstate commerce.

3 responses to “Tennessee man arrested over threats to Hirono, Gabbard”

  1. Kalaheo1 says:

    “Stewart could face a maximum of 10 years in prison for the first charge of threatening to kill a government official, and up to five years for communicating a threat over interstate commerce.”

    It sounds like this military veteran is mentally ill. I hope he gets the help and treatment that he needs instead of being dumped into our overburdened and brutal prison system.

  2. peanutgallery says:

    Would have been too much to expect any research into his claim about his social security number.

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