We reported last week on a disturbing case involving a Lebanon, Pa., man’s threats against several Democratic Party lawmakers.

The State Police at Jonestown have charged Adam G. Berryhill, 42, of Lebanon, Pa., with terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another after Berryhill allegedly posted a threat on his X account on April 7 and again April 22 threatening several legislative Democrats, including Ben Sanchez, Jordan Harris, Rick Krajewski, Malcolm Kenyatta, Danilo Burgos, Chris Rabb, Joe Hohenstein, Mary Isaacson, Emily Kinkead, Lindsey Williamsm, Steve Santarsiero, Amanda Cappelletti, Marie Collett, Sharif Street Judy Schwank, John Kane, Tim Briggs, Joanna McClinton, Morgan Cephas and Katie Muth. Berryhill’s X posts mention Memorial Day as a possible date for an “operation.” According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, the investigation began when a State Trooper who is part of the Dignitary Security Section was alerted to several concerning social media posts involving McClinton, to whom the trooper is assigned.

Such an incident is disturbing by itself. The fact that it comes so soon after the 2025 arson attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro is doubly disturbing. While it’s encouraging to see that the online threats made their way to the State Police security teams assigned to one of the lawmakers before anything could take place, we also know that someone who is truly serious about committing such acts of political violence isn’t going to be so vocal about their plans.

If there is a takeaway from last week’s incident, it is that police need to be ever vigilant against the scourge of political violence. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it’s disappointing to see violent acts and threats of political violence ripping at the seams of our democratic republic.

Our founding fathers aspired to better than this. We will have policy disagreements between the left and the right. It’s something the founders of our nation foresaw and debated vociferously before the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Debate and disagreement are as American as apple pie and the Fourth of July. Political violence as we have seen – and recently thwarted – in Pennsylvania are not.