Utahn who allegedly threatened Biden is killed by FBI on day of presidential visit

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PROVO — A Provo man who posted threatening comments about President Joe Biden was shot and killed by FBI agents Wednesday, hours before the president flew into Salt Lake City. Agents were serving a search and arrest warrant at the residence.

Craig Deeleuw Robertson, 75, had also made previous threats to FBI agents if they showed up at his house, according to a federal arrest warrant issued Tuesday.

About 6:15 a.m. Wednesday, FBI agents went to Robertson's home, 342 N. 1170 West in Provo, to serve arrest and search warrants. During the service of those warrants, Robertson was shot and killed.

No information about what led to the shooting has been released.

Cooper Robinson, who lives several homes away from Robertson, said he was walking his dog around 5:30 a.m. when five or six police vehicles converged on Robertson's home.

"I couldn't see much from where I was, I could just hear," Robinson said, adding he heard loud booms he assumed were flashbang grenades. "They started talking over their microphone saying, 'Craig Robertson, please come out with your hands up. They did that a few times.'"

Robertson was charged Tuesday in federal court with making interstate threats, making threats against federal law enforcement and making threats against the president. A redacted copy of the arrest warrant was released following the shooting.

On Monday, Robertson posted on social media: "I heard Biden is coming to Utah. Dogging out my old ghille suit and cleaning the out off the M-24 sniper rifle. Welcom, buffoon-in-chief," according to court documents.

Robertson's Facebook page is filled with hateful and threatening remarks against Biden.

"In my dream, I see Joe Biden's body in a dark corner of a DC parking garage with his head severed and lying in a huge puddle of blood. Hoorah," reads a post on his page published Tuesday.

"Perhaps Utah will become famous this week as the place a sniper took out Biden the Marxist," another posted on Tuesday states.

A post on Craig Robertson's Facebook page posted Tuesday, the day before President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit Utah. (Photo: Facebook)

The president arrived in Utah Wednesday afternoon and is expected to stay through Thursday afternoon.

In addition to making threats against the president, charging documents allege that on March 19, the FBI National Threat Operations Center received information that a threat was also made to kill New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who, at the time, was overseeing a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump.

Charging documents quote a social media post by Robertson, which stated: "Heading to New York to fulfill my dream of iradicating another of George Soros two-but political hach DAs. I'll be waiting in the courthouse parking garage with my suppressed Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm to smoke a radical fool prosecutor that should never have been elected. I want to stand over Bragg and put a nice hole in his forehead with my 9mm and watch him twitch as a drop of blood oozes from the hole as his life ebbs away to hell!!"

Craig Deeleuw Robertson, 75. (Photo: Facebook)

Robertson's social media bio states he was an "Air Force Vietnam era vet," a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and an "advocate and owner of many AR rifles" and other guns.

The FBI held surveillance on Robertson at his Provo home in March. They noted in court documents that Robertson wore "an AR-15 style rifle lapel pin" and a "multi-colored (possibly camouflage) hat bearing the word 'TRUMP' on the front."

When agents approached Robertson then to discuss the comments he had posted on social media, Robertson said, "I said it was a dream!" followed by, "We're done here! Don't return without a warrant!" according to the charges.

Federal agents continued to review multiple social media platforms and posts allegedly made by Robertson.

"Based on my review of those posts ... I know that Robertson does, in fact, appear to own a sniper rifle and a ghillie suit, has made violent threats to murder public officials, and appears to possess numerous firearms (in addition to what appears to be a long-range sniper rifle). The search also yielded, in part, multiple posts regarding threats, violent acts, firearms, and the possession and use of firearms in furtherance of committing violence against government officials. The posts show Robertson's intent to kill, at a minimum D.A. Bragg and President Joe Biden," the federal complaint states.

On Sept. 19, 2022, Robertson allegedly posted, "The time is right for a presidential assassination or two. First Joe then Kamala!!"

Threatening comments were also made against New York State Attorney General Letitia James, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

A scene where a Provo man was shot and killed by FBI agents in his home at 342 N. 1170 West, on Wednesday. (Photo: Jeffrey Dahdah, KSL-TV)

On Sept. 26, 2022, Robertson is accused of posting a message apparently directed at Garland stating, "Send your FBI SWAT Team to my house. I'm a MAGA Trumper. You won't because I fight back against cowards!!!" court documents state.

On Oct. 3, 2022, Robertson wrote "Death to Biden" multiple times in a social media post.

Several images of guns that Robertson allegedly owns were also posted on social media.

Robertson also made threatening comments on social media directed toward the FBI.

"To my friends in the federal bureau of idiots: I know you're reading this and you have no idea how close your agents came to 'violent eradication,'" he posted March 24, according to charging documents. He made a similar post the next day. And on March 30, Robertson posted, "The FBI tried to interfere with my free speech right in my driveway. My 45 ACP was ready to smoke 'em!!!"

In May, Robertson posted, "Looking forward to the death of Joe Biden," the charges state.

Robinson said Wednesday that his neighbor was a "big storyteller" who "likes the attention of big stories."

"I'm not surprised that he would make posts like that to receive attention," he said.

While Robinson said he doesn't believe threats against anyone — whether legitimate or not — are appropriate, he's "surprised" that agents would consider Robertson a threat.

"I (would) never expect the FBI to raid his home. I know that he's a firearms collector. He likes guns, you know, wears NRA hats at church and stuff like that, but it doesn't mean that someone should raid his house," he said.

Contributing: Katie McKellar, Deseret News