A Minnesota man was taken into federal custody after what investigators say was a blatant murder-for-hire post on TikTok offering $45,000 for the death of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Federal filings and local reporting show the disturbing offer included a target over Bondi’s head and an explicit “dead or alive” reward, prompting a swift FBI response and an arrest on October 16.
The social media image, laid out like a crude wanted poster with a sniper-scope red dot over Bondi’s forehead and language calling for her to be taken “preferably dead,” demonstrates exactly how weaponized online mobs have become. Screenshots included in the court complaint and multiple news outlets confirm the post and the timeline that set off the investigation.
Authorities say the threat was reported to the FBI by a concerned TikTok user on October 9, and investigators used emergency disclosure requests to trace the account to a St. Paul address before making the arrest a week later. That kind of digital forensics should be standard procedure, and it’s a reminder that law enforcement can and must track toxic online behavior before it turns into real-world violence.
Court documents identify the suspect as Tyler Maxon Avalos and paint a picture of someone with prior convictions and apparent anarchist leanings, including a profile that linked to anarchist literature. These are not the ramblings of a stable citizen; they are the warning signs of radicalization that our political and cultural institutions too often dismiss until it’s nearly too late.
Avalos now faces federal charges for interstate transmission of a threat to injure under 18 U.S.C. § 875, a serious offense that prosecutors say could carry years behind bars if proven. This prosecution must be pursued vigorously not as a partisan act but as a statement that threats against public officials will not be tolerated in any climate.
Let there be no mistake: this is the logical end of the rage rhetoric that has seeped into our culture. When prominent voices and platforms normalize dehumanizing language and violent imagery, it becomes easier for fringe actors to cross the line from online vitriol to attempted murder. Hardworking Americans want political debate, not assassination plots; cleaning up the discourse is both a moral and a practical necessity.
Social media companies owe the public far better than performative removals after the fact. Platforms that profit from engagement must answer why they allowed a bounty post to exist long enough for a vigilant user to have to report it, and why their moderation systems didn’t catch and remove it sooner. If Congress and the executive branch won’t hold Big Tech accountable, citizens and their elected officials should demand immediate fixes.
We should applaud the agents and tipsters who stopped this danger and call for swift, visible justice that deters copycats. But stopping one plot does not solve the underlying crisis: a culture that tolerates violence against opponents, an online ecosystem that rewards extremism, and political leaders who turn away when rhetoric explodes into threat. America deserves better, and it’s time to restore civility, enforce the law, and protect those who serve the rule of law.
