An Illinois man who threatened Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan after the 2025 Annunciation Church shooting will avoid jail after pleading guilty in Ramsey County. Caden J. Sluder, 23, of Oglesby, Illinois, received two years of probation Tuesday.
Sluder pleaded guilty to an amended charge of gross-misdemeanor third-degree riot, and Judge Joy Bartscher stayed a 353-day jail sentence for two years, according to the Pioneer Press. His plea agreement required 50 hours of community service, therapy and anger-management courses, conditions court records indicate he completed before sentencing.
The case began after Sluder replied to Flanagan’s posts about the Minneapolis church shooting, which left two children dead and injured dozens of others. Investigators traced the account to Sluder through an IP address, and a Minnesota State Patrol trooper later contacted him, according to KSTP.
Threats Followed Deadly Minneapolis Church Shooting
The shooting occurred Aug. 27, 2025, during Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in south Minneapolis. The City of Minneapolis said two children were killed and 21 people were injured by gunfire, including 18 children and three older adults.
According to the criminal complaint, Sluder responded to Flanagan’s messages with violent language, including calls for her to be killed and references to hanging her. He later told investigators the posts were a joke, said he had no intention of traveling to Minnesota and complained that Christians had been killed while criticizing Flanagan’s support for transgender youth, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Felony Threat Charge Was Reduced In Plea Deal
Sluder was originally charged with felony threats of violence before entering the plea to the amended riot charge, according to the Pioneer Press. Minnesota’s threats-of-violence statute allows a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, while third-degree riot carries a maximum sentence of 364 days and a $1,000 fine under state law, according to the Minnesota Revisor’s Office.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has since urged people to report concerning behavior rather than dismissing threatening statements as jokes. Its guidance, issued after the Annunciation tragedy, says targeted violence can emerge in schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and faith communities, with early reports helping authorities assess potential risks.
Online Threats Drew A Minnesota Investigation
The BCA’s behavioral-threat guidance outlines reporting options and the steps officials may take after receiving a tip. In Sluder’s case, the online posts triggered a criminal-intelligence alert, an IP-address investigation and a trooper’s follow-up call before the case reached court.
