MN man threatened people via email as retaliation for Charlie Kirk's death: Charges
Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump's arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump had earl
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 64-year-old Minnesota man is accused of making threats toward people via email after Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's death, promising retaliation for his killing, according to court documents.
John Allen Sandeen Jr., 64, of Mora, Minnesota, is charged via warrant in Hennepin County with four counts of terroristic threats in connection to threatening emails he allegedly sent to two people. He was also charged in Ramsey County with one count of stalking and one count of threats of violence charges.
In the emails, Sandeen allegedly referred to Kirk as his "friend" multiple times and promised to commit numerous acts of violence as retribution, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said. Sandeen also made threats toward "liberal and left-leaning people," as well as specific ethnicities and nationalities.
Sandeen is currently in Ramsey County custody in connection to threatening emails sent to a victim who lives in Ramsey County, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. A warrant has been issued for his arrest on the terroristic threats charges out of Hennepin County.
What they're saying:
"These threats are chilling and extremely graphic," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a press release. "Our community is still reeling from the recent assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman, and attempted assassinations of Sen. John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman, and Rep. Kristin Bahner. We will not tolerate threats of politically motivated violence and will do everything in our power to hold those who make these threats accountable."
Threats after Charlie Kirk's death
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County Court, Maple Grove police responded to a report of email threats sent to the victim on Sept. 15, 2025. The victim received these emails while at home in Maple Grove.
The victim reported he's the music director at a Maple Grove church and doesn't know the person who sent the emails, but believes he may have seen him perform in a concert at the church.
The email address that the threatening emails were sent from is associated with Sandeen, the charges allege. The emails consisted of an email directly to the victim and a number of emails sent to the victim's friend.
In the emails, Sandeen threatened the victim and the victim's friend. The threats toward the victim's friend occurred in Ramsey County.
The victim, who lives in Maple Grove, received an email reportedly from Sandeen at 5:42 p.m. on Sept. 15. The email said, "Well hello Mr. [Victim], my name is John Sandeen. Please allow me to introduce myself. Mr [Witness 1] has brought you to my attention. I have known Mr [Witness 1] since the Cold War era. He will never admit any of it. But that is another story board. You and I have a partnership, you think that ice is evil. I think that you and your cohorts have killed my friend Charlie. For this I hold you and your people responsible. It's fair game to let the hunted know that they are hunted. You are now advised."
Sandeen also allegedly sent emails to the Ramsey County victim between Sept. 12-16. The emails included Sandeen's thoughts on how Jewish people and liberals are responsible for Kirk's death and made specific threats toward the victim.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County, the victim in that case made a report of harassment to the White Bear Lake Police Department at 7 pm. on Sept. 15. The victim is the director of music at a church in White Bear Lake, and he received a "series of threatening emails on his work email" from Sandeen.
The victim said he'd known Sandeen for decades, taught him, and they've been in contact over the phone for 15 years, charges say.
Sandeen attended a concert at the White Bear Lake church on Sept. 7 and spoke with the victim, with the victim saying he seemed like his usual self, charges said. During the concert, the Maple Grove victim and the White Bear Lake victim engaged in banter to buy time, including discussing how President Nixon worked with the FBI in an attempt to have John Lennon deported, and how they're "so glad they don't do that anymore." The Maple Grove victim then said, "Let's hear it for ICE!"
The band then continued their set without engaging in other political conversation, charges said.
Days after the concert, the victim started receiving threatening emails from Sandeen.
Dig deeper:
Kirk, a conservative activist, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA.
The suspect in the killing, Tyler Robinson, has been charged in his killing. Authorities and his family say his politics had shifted to the left.