Man charged with posting 'hit list' of PA Democrats on social media

LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. - A Lebanon County man was arrested last week and charged with threatening nearly two dozen Pennsylvania Democrats on social media, including posting a "hit list" of elected officials and saying he was "at war with a socialist government."

What we know:

Adam Berryhill was charged with making terroristic threats after his arrest on May 6. According to police, Berryhill made several "concerning" posts targeting state Democrats on an X account.

Police said they first noticed the threats in late April, starting with a posted "hit list" targeting four Democratic members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton. In the post, Berryhill referred to McClinton and Reps. Tim Briggs, Morgan Cephas and Malcolm Kenyatta as "gun-grabbing communists."

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When officers reviewed the rest of the account, they found similar posts, including one with a photo of a man holding a silenced gun. The post called out nearly 20 Democratic representatives, saying that "they don't represent Pennsylvania. They are communist infiltrators."

"I'll approach every legal avenue and when they all fail, I start shooting," the post said.

Another post referred to a "Memorial Day operation."

What they're saying:

In a joint statement to FOX 29, Speaker McClinton, Majority Leader Matt Bradford, Republican Leader Jesse Topper and Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa called the threats "extremely disturbing," and "a symptom of a greater sickness in our democracy."

"The escalation of political violence has reached an astounding level, impacting elected officials from school boards to the president of the United States," the statement read. "Pennsylvania has not been immune to that violence. As Pennsylvanians, we can’t and won’t allow political violence to become commonplace in our commonwealth. We won’t allow it to discourage good people from becoming involved in their communities and seeking public office. We won’t accept it as the consequence of public service."

What's next:

Berryhill is being held at the Lebanon County Prison ahead of an arraignment scheduled for Thursday, May 14. His bail has been set at $250,000.