By Richard Provost
An elderly man named Craig Robertson was shot and killed in his home in Provo on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. A frequent poster on social media, Robertson’s posts included threats toward President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden visited Utah this week ahead of his re-election campaign.
Robertson’s Facebook account showed multiple posts threatening violence. One example said Utah would become famous “as the place a sniper took out Biden the Marxist.” Robertson, a veteran, also frequently posted photos of his firearms.
The FBI contacted Robertson about his comments. He replied publicly on July 27 with this post: “Hey FBI, you still monitoring my social media? Checking so I can be sure to have a loaded gun handy in case you drop by again.” His Facebook profile has since been taken down.
The president was briefed by senior staff on the FBI shooting, a White House official said. No information about how the incident unfolded has been publicly released by law enforcement. CBS News reported that Robertson engaged FBI agents in a gunfight when they tried to serve a warrant.
A neighbor named Nyla Rollins said they called for Robertson to come out. “And he’s like, ‘I’m not coming out,'” she says, indicating he swore at the agents. “And then I didn’t hear anything after that.”
Robinson said he couldn’t tell whether there was an exchange of gunfire between the FBI and the suspect. “I just heard the five shots.” She recounted that the SWAT team went through his back door with a battering ram.
An official complaint included a 2009 photo of Robertson wearing camouflage gear and holding a rifle in the woods. Authorities say it shows that he had the ability to conduct sniper tactics. The list of threats on his social media profiles were long, graphic, and detailed.
On X (formerly Twitter), author Josef Miyasato had this to say: “Craig was a member of my local Church congregation. I’ve known him for the past 3 years, give or take. Craig would always sit on the pew next to the chapel door. He was a regular face in the congregation. My wife and I loved him.” He explained that he was always friendly and kind at church, but that Miyasoto never interacted with him online and didn’t know how violent his rhetoric was. “The Facebook-ranting, assassination-threatening person that has been revealed was not the Craig I knew. To say he crossed the line into the ugly space of unprotected speech is accurate. And I wish Craig would have never behaved like this. His posts are disturbing to say the least.”
The morning of the incident, Provo PD issued this statement: “Yesterday the Provo Police Department became aware that the FBI intended to serve a federal arrest warrant in Provo this morning. We did not contribute any personnel to the team that went to the house to serve that warrant. After the agent involved shooting happened this morning, our involvement has been limited to supporting the FBI while they conduct a continuing investigation.”
Provo Tribune: Local News for the Provo/Orem Area 