“I’m going to kill your children in front of you”: Florida man admits racist threats to kill Minnesota Democrat and her family
Florida – A Florida man has admitted in federal court that he sent violent online messages threatening to kill a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and harm her family, bringing an end to a case that drew attention to the growing problem of threats against public officials.
Court records from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida show that Myles M. McQuade, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting an interstate threat. Federal prosecutors said the messages were posted online and crossed state lines, placing the case under federal jurisdiction. The plea was entered as part of an agreement dated Dec. 2.
While prosecutors initially did not publicly identify the lawmaker involved, the plea agreement confirmed that the threats were directed at Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and her children. Omar has served in Congress since 2019 and is known nationally as a prominent progressive voice. She is also the first Somali American and one of the first Muslim women elected to the U.S. House.
According to the plea documents, the threats were posted on Sept. 12 using the social media platform X. In one message, McQuade used racial language and told the congresswoman to leave the country, adding that he intended to kill her. The court filing states that he followed up less than 20 minutes later with another post that escalated the threats, explicitly describing violence against her children and promising further harm.
On Sept. 12 via X, McQuade used racial references and wrote, “I’m going to kill you. … Go back to Somalia before it’s too late,” according to his plea document. He also threatened to eat Omar’s children “for protein.”
According to the plea, McQuade created another post less than 20 minutes later that read, “When this country falls, I’m going to kill your children in front of you and cut your head off.”
Prosecutors said McQuade acknowledged that the statements were meant to be taken seriously and were intended as real threats of violence. Although he is a Tampa resident, the plea documents note that he was physically in Orlando at the time he made the posts, which still qualified the conduct as an interstate offense because the messages were transmitted online and targeted a federal official in another state.
Omar has faced repeated threats since taking office, according to public reporting, often tied to her political views and high-profile role in national debates over foreign policy, immigration, and party leadership. Federal authorities have said such cases are treated with urgency due to the potential risk to elected officials and their families.
In a statement announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe emphasized that online threats against public officials are serious crimes, regardless of whether the sender is physically close to the intended target. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in federal prison.
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McQuade remains pending sentencing, and the court has not yet scheduled a date for that hearing. Until then, the case stands as another example of how federal law enforcement is responding to violent rhetoric directed at members of Congress through social media and other online platforms.
