Raleigh Man Charged with Threatening President Trump and Perpetrating Two Federal Bomb Hoaxes
Christopher Key-Torrion Carnes/Source: X | @RobV59
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Christopher Key-Torrion Carnes, 33, of Raleigh, North Carolina was arrested June 10, 2026 on federal charges including threatening the life of President Donald Trump in multiple Facebook videos and perpetrating two separate bomb hoaxes in the Raleigh area during early June 2026. Carnes agreed to meet federal investigators at the Raleigh Police Department, where he was taken into custody.
ANALYSIS
Carnes posted multiple Facebook videos in which he stated directly, "Donald J. Trump, I'm going to kill you." Federal investigators identified the videos through social media monitoring and coordinated with the Secret Service and the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Carnes is charged under 18 U.S.C. Section 871, prohibiting threats against the President, and under 18 U.S.C. Section 1038, which governs hoaxes involving false bomb claims.
On June 6, Carnes publicly displayed a device he described as a "PVC blaster" and represented it as capable of causing harm. Investigators determined no functional explosive device was present in either of the two reported incidents. Both incidents nevertheless generated law enforcement responses and required investigation to classify the device's actual nature. Carnes faces two separate counts under Section 1038, one for each hoax incident.
No organizational nexus or ideological affiliation has been publicly identified in connection with Carnes as of June 18. Investigators are assessing whether any co-conspirators or additional planning beyond the disclosed incidents exist. Federal prosecution of social media threats against the President has increased significantly in recent years following cases in which online threats preceded physical attempts or preparation.
SOURCES
