Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot appeared at a Cook County courtroom on Thursday as a suspect who allegedly threatened to kill her appeared before a judge in a status hearing.
Michigan resident William Kohles allegedly sent the death threat to Chicago’s 311 service center last year, using racist language and repeatedly threatening to shoot the former mayor because of the city’s issues with crime.
Lightfoot said she decided to attend the status hearing because she takes the case with “grave seriousness,” and that she wanted to send a message that such threats are unacceptable.
“I attended today’s hearing as I take this matter with grave seriousness,” the former mayor said. “The defendant is alleged to have issued a death threat against me that included the repeated use of derogatory and offensive language. We all know that criticism from the public and others comes with the job of being an elected official, but what doesn’t come with the job, and what we must never accept, are threats of death or bodily harm.”
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According to court documents, Kohles was charged with a felony count of threatening a public official.
According to previous reporting by WTTW, Kohles was allegedly located by police using the IP address that was the source of the threats. He allegedly admitted that he had become angered while watching television coverage about the city of Chicago, and that he “didn’t want to become a victim.”
Lightfoot also emphasized her desire for continued police protection in the months after her administration concluded. Chicago police have downsized her security detail, but Lightfoot says that continued assistance is needed based on the threats she’s received.
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“I have to take these threats seriously, and ensure I have the protection to which I am entitled, given the seriousness of the current threat environment,” she said.
