Minnesota Man Charged Over TikTok Threat to AG

Tyler Maxon Avalos, 29–30, of St. Paul was arrested and federally charged after a TikTok post allegedly offered a $45,000 'dead or alive (preferably dead)' bounty on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and showed her photo with a red sniper‑scope dot. The FBI says it traced the account after an Oct. 9 tip, using emergency disclosure requests and device and IP records to link TikTok aliases including 'Wacko' and @liminalvoidslip and a Samsung phone to Avalos; the profile displayed anarchist symbols and a link to 'An Anarchist FAQ.' Court filings list a lengthy criminal history, including a July 2022 felony stalking conviction and 2016 convictions — a Florida felony third‑degree domestic battery and a Minnesota misdemeanor domestic assault reduced from a strangulation charge. Avalos was charged under 18 U.S.C. §875(c) with interstate transmission of a threat, appeared in federal court, and was released on personal recognizance with GPS monitoring and internet restrictions; he faces up to five years in prison if convicted and his attorney denies the charges. Legal observers say First Amendment 'true threat' doctrine could complicate prosecution, and authorities emphasized the rapid federal response amid heightened political tensions.