A Minnesota man was apprehended earlier this month for allegedly threatening Attorney General Pam Bondi through a TikTok post, which displayed a disturbing $45,000 bounty on her. The troubling content of the post, flagged to the FBI on October 9 by a concerned user in Detroit, depicted a photo of Bondi with a “sniper-scope red dot” marked on her forehead, alongside the message, “WANTED: Pam Bondi. REWARD: 45,000. DEAD OR ALIVE (PREFERABLY DEAD).”
Court documents reveal that the post included an ominous caption questioning governmental service with the phrase, “*cough cough* when they don’t serve us then what?” This alarming threat prompted an investigation that traced the TikTok account back to 30-year-old Tyler Maxon Avalos of St. Paul, Minnesota. According to the FBI affidavit, Avalos’s account exhibited affiliations with anarchist ideology, featuring an anarchism symbol in his display name and linking to an “Anarchist FAQ” book.
Avalos has a notable criminal background that includes a felony stalking conviction in 2022 and a misdemeanor domestic assault conviction from 2016 in Minnesota, alongside a felony third-degree domestic battery conviction in Florida during the same year.
After his arrest, Avalos made an initial court appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Minneapolis and was released on a personal recognizance bond the following week. The case draws attention to the growing concerns about online threats and the potential dangers posed by individuals with extremist affiliations.
This incident, while alarming, highlights the vigilance of individuals and authorities in reporting and addressing threats to public officials, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in maintaining safety and security.