Lindsay Evans lives in Springfield, where she and her family have been under quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure. On Monday, she said she received a letter postmarked Oct. 31 that threatened “severe consequences” based on her support of presidential candidate Joe Biden. Evans said she had a Biden sign on her lawn before her homeowner association asked residents to take down signs for political candidates. She said she did leave up a Black Lives Matter sign.
The letter and envelope were both typed. The sender’s identity was not evident. “Your address has been added into our database as a target for when we attack should Biden not concede the election. We recommend that you check your home insurance policy and make sure that it is current and that it has adequate coverage for fire damage,” the letter read in part.
All the way over in New Hampshire, Trump supporters reported getting similar letters from an anonymous source earlier in October.
According to WMUR-TV, which reported the incidents in New Hampshire, Brookline police chief Bill Quigley said he alerted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and that there could be serious charges against the sender. “It’s on a felony level, because of the threat of burning homes down and causing injury.” Chicago Tribune reported that political outrage is on the rise. Political signs have reportedly been lit on fire in some cases.
Evans said she filed a report with the Springfield Police Department. Evans said she believes the letter was sent by someone who had seen her yard. “That to me is what matters, is that someone local, close to me here in my community, was motivated to do this,” said Evans. She said it’s concerning that someone could make such a threat, even if they don’t intend to follow through with it.
On Tuesday afternoon, Springfield police chief, Kenny Winslow, said recipients of threatening letters should be in contact with the police so that they can investigate and alert “the appropriate authorities.”
Across the nation, businesses and cities prepared for potential civil unrest related to the election.
Winslow said police in Springfield are “working with our law enforcement partners throughout the state as well as the county to prepare for whatever today may bring us. We’ll be prepared for anything and everything that pops up.” He said officers were monitoring polling places and that there had been no issues reported as of early Tuesday afternoon.
Contact Rachel Otwell at rotwell@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Best Of Springfield 2020.
