Delaware County Sheriff Siddiq Kamara, the nation's youngest sheriff and the first Liberian-American to hold the office in the county, has publicly shared disturbing voicemail messages containing racial slurs and violent threats. The messages were left on the county's civilian sheriff hotline on a Saturday and received by Kamara on Monday, his birthday.
Investigators believe the same individual left both voicemails. The first message began with "Death to Islam" and included a racial slur, followed by threats to hunt and "snipe" the sheriff, and a graphic statement about forcing him to consume his own intestines. The second message also started with "Death to Islam" and stated, "I will find you. I know where you are. You're an amateur. You sold your tell. I will find you. I will break you."
Kamara, who was sworn into office on January 5, addressed the threats in a statement released on the Delaware County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. He emphasized the distinction between public criticism and criminal conduct. "But threats of violence, intimidation, and hate cross the line and will be treated accordingly," Kamara stated.
He added that the threats have not intimidated him but rather "strengthened my resolve and reaffirmed why our mission matters." He affirmed his commitment and that of his office to public service with integrity and courage.
Kamara, whose family fled civil war in Liberia when he was a child, expressed his love for America and its freedoms, particularly freedom of religion. He called the threats "distasteful" and stated they have no place in the nation.
The Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division of the District Attorney's Office is investigating the incident. The Delaware County Council issued a statement condemning the threats, calling them "violent threats and attacks based on race and creed" that have no place in a democracy. The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) also condemned the actions, characterizing them as an attack intended to instill fear in minority communities, including Black, immigrant, and Muslim populations. CAIR noted that such incidents occur amid a national increase in bias incidents targeting these communities.