Authorities in Arizona initiated a manhunt on Thursday for a sex offender who allegedly issued threats to kill former President Donald Trump, suspecting he may be in the vicinity of a speech Trump is delivering regarding border policy.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release soliciting assistance from the public in finding 66-year-old Ronald Lee Syrvud, who is thought to be in Sierra Vista, Arizona, where Trump is scheduled to speak on border issues. Officials characterized Syrvud as standing six feet tall and weighing 220 pounds, noting that he has outstanding warrants and has failed to register as a sex offender.
“This subject has outstanding warrants from the state of Wisconsin for DUI / Failure to Appear for DUI and from Graham County Arizona for Hit/Run and Felony Failure to Register as a Sex Offender,” authorities stated in a Facebook post.
“Syvrud is being sought as an investigative lead for threats to kill a presidential candidate,” authorities continued.
In spite of the ongoing manhunt, Trump addressed an audience in the border town on Thursday afternoon, where he criticized the border policies of the Biden administration. He recounted the tragic stories of young women who lost their lives at the hands of illegal immigrants over the past year, inviting several of their families to join him on stage.
Trump is anticipated to conduct a campaign rally in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday, in collaboration with Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action, as reported by 12News. The search for Syrvud follows the assassination attempt on July 13 by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks during a rally in Pennsylvania, where Crooks discharged multiple rounds at Trump and into the crowd, resulting in injuries to Trump and the death of former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore.
