Butler man’s online rants to kill Trump end in guilty plea after FBI probe
A Butler, Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to making threats to assassinate President Donald Trump, other U.S. officials and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Shawn Monper, 32, pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of threatening to assault and murder U.S. officials and federal law enforcement officers with intent to impede or retaliate against them while they were carrying out their duties.
Law enforcement officials arrested Monper on April 9, 2025, after launching an investigation into threats posted on YouTube by a user identified as "Mr Satan."
The FBI was notified about Monper’s YouTube account on April 8, 2025, and was able to link it to his home in Butler.
He made several threatening statements between Jan. 15 and April 5, including that he was "going to assassinate" Trump "myself," that "ICE are terrorist people, we need to start killing them," and that "eventually im going to do a mass shooting."
On Feb. 17, he wrote: "Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon [Musk], all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way. Remember, we are the majority, MAGA is a minority of the country, and by the time its time to make the move, they will be weakened, many will be crushed by these policies, and they will want revenge too. American Revolution 2.0."
The FBI investigation also found that Monper obtained a firearms permit after Trump’s inauguration, which he referenced on his YouTube account.
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"I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office," he wrote after Trump's second inauguration. In March, he added, "I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo."
Monper threatened ICE again on April 1, writing, "If I see an armed ICE agent, I will consider it a domestic terrorist, and an active shooter and open fire on them."
The Butler Township Police Department in Pennsylvania investigated the case alongside the FBI.
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U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy scheduled Monper’s sentencing for August 12, 2026.
Monper faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison on each count, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler on July 13, 2024. The shooter was killed by the Secret Service.
Ryan Routh was also arrested for attempting to assassinate the president in September 2024 after he was found armed and lying in wait outside his golf course in West Palm Beach. In February, Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years.