The bomb threats targeting a New Mexico Democratic lawmaker’s home and office were emailed from a username titled “maga_terrorist,” according to state police reports released Monday to Source NM.
While no explosives were ever found, the threats leveled against Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth and House Floor Leader Reena Szczepanski, both Santa Fe Democrats, on Sept. 11 caused the evacuation of a nearby school and the lockdown of City Hall. The threats followed the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The original complaint to New Mexico State Police, obtained through an Inspection of Public Records request, has a copy of the email issuing the threats against Wirth and the address from which it was sent.
The emails describe materials used to create a “pipe bomb” that was “set to go off in the next 48 hours” within Wirth’s residential mailbox or the next time the mailbox was opened.
“Even if Peter does not open the mailbox himself I’m still satisfied with the prospect of some family member losing their life or getting injured. MAGA,” the email concluded, using the shorthand for President Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again.”
The emails were not directly sent to Wirth, but instead were addressed to the governor’s office records email.
In a recent interview with Source NM, Wirth called the threats “a scary set of circumstances,” and said he was shaken by the impact, particularly on the children evacuated from a nearby school.
“It’s just an unfortunate place that we’re at with this political violence, and I hope we can figure out how to stop,” Wirth told Source NM on Sept. 23.
He said no additional safety measures beyond the already required metal detector scans will be necessary for the Oct. 1 special session.
“I certainly feel safer here, and I know the public does as well,” Wirth told Source NM last week. “Having said that, though, this is a challenging time and we’re certainly gonna be vigilant. ”
The Santa Fe Police Department previously took the lead on the investigation into the threats made against Szczepanski, which were emailed to Mayor Alan Webber’s office on the same day — but subsequently forwarded its information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is now leading the case.
“We learned similar threats had been made toward other lawmakers in Maryland in a similar manner as the ones received in our jurisdiction,” Santa Fe Police Deputy Chief Ben Valdez told Source NM in an email on Monday.
Source NM’s Monday request to the FBI seeking information on the case remains pending.
State police are still investigating the bomb threats made against Wirth, Officer Silver Wilson, a spokesperson at the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, told Source NM.
“So far, no arrests have been made in the Sept 11 incidents that NMSP handled regarding Senator Wirth,” Silver wrote in an email Monday. “The FBI has been made aware of the threats. Nothing has come across our desks relating to any other threats since then.”
