Virginia Court Indicts A Man Threatening US Vice President Kamala Harris

US Vice President Kamala Harris. (Twitter/@Kamalaharris)

JAKARTA - A man in Virginia has been charged with making threats of online violence against Vice President Kamala Harris, days after he started a campaign to take part in the United States presidential election held next November.

Frank Carillo was indicted on Friday in federal court in Virginia on charges of threatening the vice president, after posting a series of messages targeting Vice President Harris on the GETTR social media website, according to court records.

"Kamala Harris must be burned alive. I would do it myself if no one else did it," reads one of the posts quoted in court documents.

Another post said Harris "will regret trying to become president."

The messages were posted on July 27, six days after President Joe Biden announced he would no longer run and support Harris to replace him as a Democrat candidate.

The account also uploaded a message addressed to President Biden and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

According to court documents, FBI agents confiscated rifles and pistols while searching Carillo's house.

Carillo is expected to appear in court for the first time on Monday. Lawyer information for Carillo is not yet available.

Vice President Harris is a presidential candidate from the Democratic Party who faced former Republican president Donald Trump in the November 5 presidential election.

He advanced in the contest, after the incumbent President Joe Biden decided to withdraw from the contest and support Harris. He also won support from the majority of the Democratic Party.

Separately, US Department of Justice officials are concerned about what they call a spike in threats to public officials in the United States.

Previously, Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a campaign last month at PennSylvania. Officials have not identified the motive for the shooting.