Minnesota Man Allegedly Threatened Lawmaker and State Capitol

Park Rapids, MN (MinnesotaNow) - Conditional bail has been set at $150,000 for a Minnesota man accused of threatening a state lawmaker and a mass shooting at the State Capitol.

The Hubbard County Sheriff's Office in northwestern Minnesota says the arrest of 58-year-old John David Tobias followed an investigation launched after the Sheriff's Office received a call Tuesday afternoon from Minnesota State Patrol security personnel assigned to the State Capitol. The caller indicated that State Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen was tagged in a Facebook post made by Tobias.

Upset Over Money Lost During Pandemic

A news release says the post was “threatening in nature and included demands for money that the individual lost during the COVID shutdown and threats to kill the senator.” It was also alleged that a person identifying himself as Tobias called the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office complaining about the same issue and stated that “if he didn’t get his money back, he was going to the Capitol and would execute everyone in the building.”

Multiple Guns and Ammunition Seized

That led to the execution of a search warrant at Tobias’s property near Park Rapids on Tuesday afternoon. The Sheriff's Office says Tobias was taken into custody, and investigators found nine firearms and more than 40 boxes of ammunition.

The criminal complaint says Tobias admitted making the threats, but he also stated that he did not have any intention of killing anyone and that he was trying to get people’s attention.

He is charged with two felony counts of threats of violence.

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