New York Man Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Georgia Congressman and Son-in-Law

An upstate New York man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and his son-in-law, according to federal investigators. Anthony Lantrell Bennett was taken into custody in Buffalo after sending the threat last week, the FBI and the Butts County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.

Butts County Sheriff Gary Long stated, “Threatening to kill a public official or his family is not politics — it is a criminal act, and we will take it seriously and hold those responsible accountable just as we did in this case.”

Investigators have not disclosed the specific platform or method through which Bennett allegedly sent the message. However, during an interrogation, Bennett reportedly admitted to sending the threat, citing an "inaccurate" online story as his reason. It remains unclear which specific story prompted the alleged threat.

Previous reporting by CNN in July detailed that Collins’ son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, had previously shared antisemitic and white nationalist rhetoric online.

Rep. Collins, who is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat, released a statement following Bennett's arrest. "No American should have to worry that their home could be the next Butler, Pennsylvania or Utah Valley University," Collins said. "I’m grateful to the FBI, the Butts County Sheriff’s Department, and all law enforcement partners for acting quickly to protect my family."

Collins also criticized his opponent, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, for what he described as painting him as a "monster." "When you mix false accusations with inflammatory rhetoric, it fuels the lunatics who want to settle political disagreements with violence," Collins stated.

In response to the incident, Ossoff said he "condemns all threats of violence."