A St. Paul man is facing felony charges after prosecutors say he posted a series of online videos that threatened Kaohly Her, now the city’s mayor, in the tense hours following last year’s attacks on Minnesota lawmakers. Court filings identify a 49-year-old man investigators linked to the account and say the clips used imagery tied to the deadly shootings that shook colleagues at the Capitol. The complaint marks the latest twist in a case that has hovered over statehouse security talks since the June 2025 violence.
Investigators say they traced the online account to 49-year-old Pao Her Lee and that the videos went up on June 14, 2025, only hours after a gunman targeted the homes of several legislators, according to court records. Lee was interviewed by law enforcement in July and again in December 2025. The complaint states that he denied intending harm and later told officers the posts were “not serious” and were meant to be humorous because he works as a blogger. Prosecutors, clearly, did not see the punchline. The filing also notes that Kaohly Her alerted House officials after seeing the clips and that she feared for her family, as reported by CBS Minnesota.
How The Posts Tied Into The June 2025 Attacks
According to the complaint, the videos were posted the same day a gunman carried out a series of shootings that killed House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounded Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, a spree that set off a massive manhunt. That eruption of violence pushed lawmakers and staff to strip home addresses from public listings and to review security procedures across Minnesota, The Associated Press reported. In the charged political climate that followed, investigators say, the narrator in the clips blamed Democrats for putting the Asian community at risk and explicitly referenced the earlier shootings.
Mayor’s Background And Local Reaction
At the time the videos appeared, Kaohly Her was serving in the Minnesota House. She has since become an even more prominent figure, winning the St. Paul mayor’s race in November 2025. Local coverage notes that her victory was historic, with The Star Tribune reporting that she is the city’s first woman and first Hmong mayor, a milestone that drew regional and national attention. The complaint states that after viewing the posts, Her felt “concerned for herself and terrified for her family,” and she quickly reported the threat to House authorities.
Legal Implications
Lee is charged with one felony count of threats of violence and two gross-misdemeanor counts of harassment, according to the complaint. Court filings indicate he is scheduled to make his first appearance in July. Prosecutors will decide how to proceed as they weigh the evidence laid out in the complaint along with any additional investigative work, according to court documents cited by CBS Minnesota.
The case lands at a moment when threats against public officials and the combustible role of online platforms are front and center. The Associated Press has reported that last year’s attacks pushed officials nationwide to revisit personal security and to rethink how much identifying information should remain easy to find. Local leaders say the charges in this case are a blunt reminder of how a few clicks and a video upload can quickly set off alarm bells and trigger a criminal investigation.
Court records currently lay out only basic details and note the July court date, with few other procedural signposts so far. Attorneys on both sides are expected to flesh out the factual record and legal arguments as the case moves ahead. Her’s office declined to comment to local outlets after the charges were filed, and authorities say additional information will surface through the public court docket as the proceedings continue.
