Jaden J Read was arrested after federal authorities say he posted threats online before president’s Wichita rally
A 24-year-old Kansas man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot Donald Trump.
Authorities arrested Jaden J Read, of Clearwater, Kansas, last Saturday after he allegedly posted threats to kill the US president at his rally in the Wichita area on Monday, according to the justice department.
"Law enforcement certainly needed to do a better job as to describing why these charges haven't been filed," says Jamie Copenhaver.
Copenhaver, a former sheriff's detective in Florida who worked with an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, is curious as to why law enforcement has been tight-lipped about the lack of charges in the horrific Kansas soccer field crash.
A mother walked away with no charges after investigators say she drove onto the active field at Stryker Sports Complex where children and families were present — killing two and injuring several others.
It happened on Saturday; Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, who were both from McPherson, were killed. The woman behind the wheel was released after being interviewed by investigators that day.
Wichita Police said she was released "pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of the vehicle."
Police said in a statement Tuesday that they have interviewed nearly 50 witnesses, with more interviews ongoing.
"Investigators are also inspecting the truck, analyzing available vehicle data and continuing investigative work at Stryker Sports Complex," police said. "They are working closely with the Regional Forensic Science Center and awaiting official, peer-reviewed toxicology results."
The driver remained at the scene and has been cooperative, they said.
"Based on the information available Sunday morning, and after consultation with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, investigators did not have probable cause to arrest the driver. She was released, and the investigation remains ongoing. Her release does not represent a final determination about whether criminal charges are appropriate."
"We know that this case has captured the attention of people all over the country, and many of those people have strong opinions about the incident even though they do not have direct knowledge of what occurred," Chief Joe Sullivan said. "We recognize that the decision the law and constitution required us to make on Sunday morning may not be popular. We swear an oath to support the laws of the State of Kansas and the Constitution of the United States and no one in the Wichita Police Department takes that oath for granted."
The driver had a valid driver’s license and no outstanding arrest warrants, police said.
They dispelled rumors circulating online, noting that the driver is not in the country illegally, has no documented criminal history, and no association with the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office or any other law enforcement agency.
Andrew Ford, a spokesperson for the Wichita Police Department, told TMZ that the driver was interviewed for several hours after the crash. He said she answered questions about what happened, according to the outlet.
Ford told TMZ that police are investigating all possibilities about why this happened, including whether speeding, mechanical failure, or drugs or alcohol played a factor.
Wichita police could not immediately be reached for comment.
Did the driver suffer a medical emergency?
No information on the driver's medical condition at the time of the crash has been released.
Copenhaver said it may be necessary for law enforcement to release information on the woman's physical health condition at the time of the incident to "prevent conspiracy theories."
"People need to know a little bit more transparency as to why this may have occurred," he said.
Did her vehicle malfunction?
Police said that the black pickup truck involved in the incident was going to undergo mechanical testing. Copenhaver said the black box will be able to give a better idea of whether something went mechanically wrong before the deadly crash.
He said the data will reveal possible "contributing factors" like speed, whether she hit the brakes, timing of the braking and how far the vehicle may have skidded.
"It doesn't take that long, in my opinion, to download that data, have one of their experts go over it," he said.
Copenhaver went on to say, "If there's an issue with that truck, that computer is going to alert the examiner or the expert that's looking at this data."
"If it's alcohol-related, they're going to know instantaneously," he said.
He added, "Once that blood draw is taken, once it's ran through the machines [investigators] will be able to tell you if an individual is under the influence of alcohol."
He said testing for other substances like hard drugs or medications can take significantly longer. Those require "specialty testing," he said.
There is also a possibility that the woman may have been taking prescription medication, which could have impacted her driving, he said.
Testing for that is "longer than that normal blood draw," he said.
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, the Wichita Police Department shot down questions circulating on social media about whether there was a law enforcement connection.
"The Wichita Police Department is aware of false information circulating on social media regarding this investigation, including a rumor alleging that a Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office deputy was involved," the department said in part. "The Sheriff's Office has publicly addressed that allegation and identified it as false."
The department went on to say, "We ask everyone to be responsible with what they share, consider the harm misinformation can cause and allow investigators to do their work based on facts and evidence, not speculation."
When asked by Fox News Digital about allegations of the driver's possible connection to law enforcement, the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office referred questions to the Wichita Police Department.
Kansas Democrat Senate nominee Adam Hamilton read descriptions of four executive orders issued under former President Joe Biden concerning gender identity and LGBTQ protections to his congregation during a January 2025 sermon, saying the thought of losing those protections was painful for people in the LGBTQ community.
Anti-Defamation League post decries ‘shylock’ slur but does not explain that president used it at Kansas rally on Monday
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) denounced the use of the term “shylock” as antisemitic on Tuesday, without explaining that the slur had been used a day earlier by Donald Trump in a speech in Kansas.
Trump used the slur during a Monday night rally in support of Republican senator Roger Marshall, who is locked in a closer-than-expected re-election fight against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton. Marshall, a doctor, as been criticized for filing lawsuits against more than 700 patients with outstanding bills, leading to 18 of them being arrested.
At a rally in Kansas on Monday, President Trump looked to boost Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in his reelection bid. Marshall faces a surprisingly close race with his Democratic challenger, Pastor Adam Hamilton. William Brangham discusses the Senate race with Jared Cerullo of PBS Kansas, the host of the weekly current affairs show, "Kansas Week."
Farmers across the United States will soon get relief from the cost of diesel, President Donald Trump said during his rally near Wichita, Kansas, on Monday evening, CBS News reported.
President Trump used an antisemitic slur at a rally in Kansas on Monday while defending Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) over revelations he sued his patients for unpaid medical bills. Trump has defended Marshall for going after the unpaid bills, saying he was “mandated by law” to do so. “He was mandated by law to request,…
President Trump used an antisemitic slur at a rally in Kansas on Monday while defending Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) over revelations he sued his patients for unpaid medical bills. Trump has defended Marshall for going after the unpaid bills, saying he was “mandated by law” to do so. “He was mandated by law to request,…
With everyone and his brother predicting that a blue tsunami will wash over the Senate as well as the House, I want to write something contrarian.
This way, if the Republicans do hang on to the Senate, I’ll get credit for defying the conventional wisdom. And if they don’t, I won’t get kicked out of the punditocracy – folks will just say well, he put a lot of caveats in there.
The truth is, I don’t know who is going to capture the upper chamber, and neither do you.
And neither do all the pontificators and speculators online or on the air.
I do know the GOP is pouring tens of millions into contests they might otherwise lose, giving their people – even scandal-scarred Ken Paxton – a huge advantage on the airwaves in the final two weeks. But money doesn’t always move voters once they’ve made up their minds in this era of early voting.
Is Maine’s Susan Collins liked enough to hang one more time against aggressive Troy Jackson (and thankfully not weirdo Graham Platner), when Donald Trump shouts every day ‘Pretend I’m on the ballot’?" We got it, Mr. President.
Josh Turek is an Iowa legislator and also a wheelchair basketball player who suffers from spina bifida. His GOP opponent, Rep. Ashley Hinton, says she doesn’t want "endless wars" but welcomes a Trump visit.
She’s talked about such issues as open borders and transgender surgery. Turek has focused on the Iran war and soaring health premiums because Congress failed to amend the Affordable Care Act.
In nearby Kansas, where Trump campaigned yesterday, Democrat Adam Hamilton is the founder of a Methodist mega-church, which would seem like a big plus in that conservative state, but some Dems are turned off by the religious aspect. Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, an obstetrician who served in the Army Reserves, was hurt by a New York Times report on him suing patients who were behind on their bills.
By the way, did you ever think you’d see the day when the Republicans just gave up on North Carolina and steered their money elsewhere (conceding the win to former Gov. Roy Cooper)?
Many of these races have 1-or-2 point "leads," which is within the margin of error, and polling is often inaccurate in an off-year election.
The GOP is playing defense in ruby-red states–Trump in Kansas?—which is why Democrats are increasingly confident this is their big year.
And, in the famous Tip O’Neill saying, all politics is local.
There may be a mega-church guy or a man in a wheelchair or ex-Alaska congresswoman Mary Peltola, a former tribal judge who’s for "Fish, Family, Freedom," but who former staffers say they heard using awful slurs.
How on earth do you handicap races with so many toss-ups?
Of course, Republicans want to make the country believe that all Dems are like Michigan socialist Abdul el-Sayed, who, when asked whether he’d provide military aid if Israel was under attack, says he would rather spend the money at home.
I still think the Democrats will need to have Vegas luck to win enough Senate races to take control. They also have to defend their own turf. But (escape hatch here) I’m not saying it couldn’t happen.
The president came out in support of Senator Roger Marshall, who is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton
The fact that Donald Trump was here at all said more about a looming electoral disaster facing his Republican party next month than anything contained in his dark and discursive 98-minute stump speech.
On Monday, amid raucous chants of “USA! USA!”, the president held his first campaign rally in Kansas for eight years. No Democrat has won a US Senate seat in this ruby-red state since 1932, the year Herbert Hoover was president, Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the Nazis became the biggest party in the German Reichstag.
Democrat Kansas U.S. Senate candidate and woke Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton claimed the Virgin Birth is an optional belief for Christians and is only insisted upon in "fundamentalism."
A Kansas man allegedly vowed to shoot President Trump and researched nearby rooftops last week ahead of his Wichita-area rally. Jaden J. Read, 24, was charged Saturday for making threats against the president. “Let’s shoot Trump honestly, where’s our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life,” he wrote on Facebook in response to a…
A Kansas man allegedly vowed to shoot President Trump and researched nearby rooftops last week ahead of his Wichita-area rally. Jaden J. Read, 24, was charged Saturday for making threats against the president. “Let’s shoot Trump honestly, where’s our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life,” he wrote on Facebook in response to a…
President Donald Trump's Monday evening rally outside of Wichita, Kansas, saw thousands of attendees lined outside the arena and "every seat filled" as he continues to barnstorm the country ahead of the November midterm elections.
FIRST ON FOX: New dispatch audio from the day a driver allegedly plowed into children and spectators at a Kansas soccer field reveals the moments first responders rushed to the scene on Saturday.
In the call, dispatchers can be heard labeling the horrific incident as an "MCI" or mass-casualty incident. It happened at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.
Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, were killed. Both victims were from McPherson.
Police have not revealed if there are going to be any criminal charges forthcoming against the driver, who was initially taken into custody.
They said Sunday that the driver was released pending toxicology results and an examination of her Chevrolet pickup.
She had two of her children inside the pickup. One of her children was playing soccer on a different field at the complex.
Investigators interviewed the driver and more than 30 witnesses, including the two children who were in the pickup at the time of the crash. Police consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office before releasing her.
Dispatch audio referenced a 5-year-old victim who suffered multi-system trauma after being struck by a vehicle. The child was reported to have a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15, indicating full responsiveness at the time of assessment.
More than 30 minutes into the recording, a responder reported, "There’s another victim in the middle of the field." The audio does not establish whether the victim had just been discovered.
WATCH: Two killed, including 6-year-old boy, after truck plows through Kansas youth soccer game
On Monday, the City of Wichita confirmed its public works division "will be installing temporary barriers at key locations around the Stryker Sports Complex until more permanent solutions can be implemented."
The city also confirmed it would assess security around the complex and police would "be present at the facility" this coming weekend – along with local mental health professionals to assist families in the wake of the tragedy.
"There is nothing I can say that makes that right. To the families who lost someone: this whole town is grieving with you, and we will stand with you for as long as it takes. To the injured and their families: we are praying for your recovery. Thank you to the bystanders who stepped in before the first ambulance arrived, and to the first responders in Wichita and here at home."
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Wichita Police said, "This is an active and ongoing investigation, and I would refer you to our media release. When we have any new updates to share, we will provide them."
A Kansas man allegedly vowed to shoot President Donald Trump and claimed he had already mapped rooftops near his upcoming speech, triggering a federal investigation that landed him in custody before the visit.
Jaden J. Read, 24, of Clearwater, was charged Saturday with making threats against the president, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas. Authorities arrested him that same day, two days before Trump’s scheduled Monday visit to Wichita.
The investigation began Oct. 15, when a Crime Stoppers tip alerted authorities to comments beneath a KAKE News Facebook article about the president’s trip, prosecutors said.
A minute later, prosecutors said, he claimed to know where Trump would speak and to have studied nearby rooftops.
"IK where your speech will be. Already mapped out roofs around. Finna get kirked since yall couldn’t help him," the comment read, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
"The first Amendment allows for robust disagreement but there are constraints. I caution people to stay within the bounds of constitutionally protected speech."
As Republicans confront mounting political headwinds ahead of November’s midterm elections, Donald Trump is attempting to turn unrest in France into a cautionary tale for American voters, recasting the demonstrations that began as student protests against crumbling schools and the soaring cost of living as evidence of the dangers of immigration and the erosion of western civilization.
At a rally in Kansas on Monday evening, Trump described France as a once-great nation that had been “conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists”.
As Republicans confront mounting political headwinds ahead of November’s midterm elections, Donald Trump is attempting to turn unrest in France into a cautionary tale for American voters, recasting the demonstrations that began as student protests against crumbling schools and the soaring cost of living as evidence of the dangers of immigration and the erosion of western civilization.
At a rally in Kansas on Monday evening, Trump described France as a once-great nation that had been “conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists”.
Kansas's U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton (D) admitted he failed to call police to report a pedophile that targeted children at his church camp years ago, challenger Sen. Dr. Roger Marshall (R-KS) said Sunday.
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