Pennsylvania police identify 20 Democratic lawmakers in alleged threat case
Police say an alleged X hit list targeted 20 Democratic lawmakers, and some learned weeks later. The case exposed gaps in how threats reach state officials.
Pennsylvania State Police say a 42-year-old Lebanon man used X to post politically violent threats aimed at 20 Democratic members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton, Sen. Sharif Street, Reps. Jordan Harris and Chris Rabb, and Pittsburgh-area lawmakers Sen. Lindsey Williams and Rep. Emily Kinkead.
Investigators identified the suspect as Adam G. Berryhill, 42, of Lebanon. Police said he was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats, a misdemeanor, after posts in late April that included a hit list, a reference to a Memorial Day Operation, a picture of a firearm and language calling lawmakers communist infiltrators. Police said an April 7 post named 18 lawmakers, and an April 22 post named four Democrats on a hit list.
State police said they first became aware of credible threats on May 1, after a trooper assigned to provide security to McClinton learned of the posts. The criminal complaint was filed May 6. Investigators said they linked the X account to Berryhill through IP addresses and other digital information.
Court records and reporting also say Berryhill was barred from legally owning firearms because of a 2019 involuntary mental health commitment. Records also indicate he had previously been charged with, and pleaded guilty to, making terroristic threats.
The case has sharpened concern about how quickly threats against lawmakers are passed along, especially in Harrisburg and beyond. Several legislators said they were not told about the threats until after Berryhill’s arrest or days later, even though police had become aware of the posts in late April. Williams said she did not learn of the allegations until Tuesday, after receiving a letter from a Lebanon County magisterial district judge. “It's not the first time I've had a slew of death threats,” she said, while calling for a change in how threats against legislators are handled.
State police later acknowledged the notification breakdown and said they would improve their alert process. The case lands in a state already on edge after a 2025 arson attack on the governor’s residence and a string of threats against elected officials, a reminder that political intimidation is no longer confined to rhetoric and can move quickly into operational danger for public servants.
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