An Indiana man’s fate has been sealed after threatening to “kill many illegals” during President Donald Trump’s inauguration in a series of TikTok posts.
Preston Pickett, 59, pled guilty to making terroristic threats, according to Marion County court records examined by Law&Crime. He was then sentenced to two years in prison, although with credit for time served, he will be in jail for less than a year.
The investigation began on January 12, when the FBI contacted the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department about a guy in their area who was making threats on TikTok, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. Pickett was pledging to kill illegal immigrants against the backdrop of Trump’s return to office.
“I’ll shoot on sight.” “I don’t check IDs, so you’re all illegal to me,” Pickett wrote in court records obtained by local Fox station WXIN. “I will kill many illegals on January 20,” he announced.
Pickett didn’t stop there. “I will have my kills on the first day Trump takes office,” another message to his account stated, according to investigators. “I will be famous for killing the most illegals in one day,” declared another.
Law authorities traced the account’s IP address and email to Pickett, and they went to his home in Southport to speak with him. As they left, he stormed outside, screaming, “Police were complicit with the illegals in this country,” according to Indianapolis-based NBC affiliate WTHR.
A detective then informed him that they were come to investigate the threats. Pickett allegedly answered by questioning whether he “had the right to exercise his Second Amendment against foreign and domestic terrorists.” The cop answered no.
Pickett’s cellphone and two firearms were confiscated and, as part of his plea agreement, ordered destroyed.
According to reports, the individual had previously threatened others. In March 2024, he reportedly threatened to shoot up a Florida car wash, and in November 2023, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office got an anonymous threat from a phone linked to Pickett indicating he would use a rifle to shoot employees as they walked to their vehicles, according to WTHR.
