An Indianapolis woman, identified as 28-year-old Shayla Addison, is facing federal charges due to alleged threats made against a U.S. Representative, as per the statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Addison is slapped with two counts of influencing a federal official by threat and could potentially be looking at up to a decade behind bars if convicted. The story unfolded when she reportedly began sending a series of aggressive text messages to the unnamed representative's campaign number on January 15, 2025, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office announcement.
The indictment details that starting around 8:53 a.m., Addison fired off messages with explicit threats such as "Come outside b**** we’ll kill you" and "Tread lightly" – a clear indication of her intent to intimidate the victim in retaliation for their official duties, this all coming from the campaign's phone number but, as if that weren't enough, more threats followed through the representative’s campaign email where she allegedly wrote, "We will kill you and blow that whole building up b**** come outside." In a digital era where words carry the weight of actions, such threats are taken with grave seriousness by authorities, leading to Addison’s swift indictment.
Moreover, the onslaught of Addison's vitriol spilled over onto social media, with her posting threatening comments on the representative’s Instagram page; one reads, "Shut up h** I’ll kill you" and another menacingly warns, "I hope you got mace... cause you gone need it," as outlined in court documents. The case, laid out by investigators from the FBI and the United States Capitol Police, portrays a stark scenario of digital harassment with real-world implications. U.S. Attorney Wheeler extended gratitude to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Olivier for taking the lead in prosecuting this unsettling case.
