By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | S.C. Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, has received more than a dozen threats of violence – and even death – since he announced Wednesday he was going to file a bill to ban assault-style weapons in South Carolina. The threats have been reported to law enforcement authorities.
Threats came as phone calls from unidentified individuals hiding behind cell phones and as coded messages on Facebook, Gilliard told Statehouse Report today.
“First, you get the phone calls. The N-word this, the N-word that,” he said. “Then when you get on Facebook, [they say] if he’s not going to uphold the Constitution, then we ought to do something.” Later he added, “They said things like, ‘If he can’t do his job, we need to take care of him.”
Gilliard, who has served in the General Assembly since 2009, said the coded intent of the messages was clear – that bullies were using the darkness of anonymous phone calls and the Internet to bully and intimidate in ways that hauntingly recall what happened across the Black South during civil rights struggles after World War II.
He said he also warned the dozen people who stood with him at a Wednesday press conference about threats related to the announcement he would pre-file a bill on assault weapons. At least one supporter has also received threats, he said.
During the Wednesday press conference, Gilliard emphasized how high-powered semi-automatic assault weapons are deadly, involved in hundreds of mass shootings through the years.
“They are designed to kill many and to kill as quickly as possible,” he said. “As I have stated more times over, we will not be able to eradicate the entire gun problem, but we certainly can put laws in place to slow down the intentions of people, to reduce the number of events and reduce the number of fatalities and injuries.”
The next day, Gilliard notified SLED Chief Mark Keel of threats after the press conference and asked his agency and the FBI to investigate.
“He informed me and all involved that stood in solidarity with me to call his office directly if intimidation or personal threats are made,” Gilliard wrote in a statement. “These will be taken seriously and prosecuted if they are found to be credible and unlawful.”
The Rev. Thomas Dixon of North Charleston, who has received similar threats in the past, stood with Gilliard on Wednesday. Today, he said he was dismayed by continuing threats of violence from pro-gun supporters.
“Civility is out of the door and they feel like the way to accomplish anything is through bullying and they use the cyber-area to do it,” he said. “They use phone, internet and email to try to bully and to intimidate. As long as they have a way to hide, that’s what they’re going to do.”
Pre-filing of House bills is expected in late November.
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We Can Do Better, South Carolina!
I support Hilliard and will gladly stand alongside him if he ever comes to Greenville. I know a great group of people who will join me!
I recall that the Rev/ Pinckney filed a bill to ban assautl weapons when he was a state Senmator, not very long beore his death in the Mother Emanuel shootings. I do not know if Dylan roof was aware of that fact, as these hidden threat =makers seem to be . It would be a marvel if every other Senator would join in sponsoring this bill.
I once was told by a sportsman that the only real need or peaceful use for an assault weapon was to shoot wild boar. Since the need for this must be rare,first ban assault weapons and then issue a special one time permit for huntin wild boar, controlling access to assault weapons through a law enforcement-maintained stockpile of a limited number of such weapons for a limited purpose. Since there is NO other possible reason for a military weapon designed to blaast those its bullets hit to smithereens, there is no Constitutionla protection under the Second Amendment at issue here.
As my previous comment did not allow corrections or shortenting it, it may not have gone through. It said it needed moderation, Moderation in length, tone, or what I never was informed.
If the eqarlier comment did not go through. simply say:
I applaud Wendell Gilliard for planning to introduce a bill banning assault weapons in SC and Pastor Dixon for his support of this effort. I wish every Senator, of both parties,would join with Rev Gilliard in co- sponsoring this bill before more tragedy occurs.There is no Constitutional right to own a weapon that blasts its targets to smithereens; there is no legitimate hunting use, and it would be a tribute to the memory of Rev. Clemata pinckney, who had intoduced jsut such a bill before his death in the Emanuel Massacre.