Florida Attorney Charged With Threatening to Kill ICE Agents While Trying to Buy Gun
A Florida attorney living in Mississippi was arrested after she allegedly told gun store employees she wanted to buy a firearm to kill ICE agents, then asked whether the weapons could penetrate body armor.
A Florida attorney living in Mississippi has been arrested on allegations that she threatened to kill federal immigration agents while trying to buy a firearm and pepper spray at a Gulf Coast gun store, federal authorities said.
Lisa White was taken into custody in Long Beach after Homeland Security Investigations agents interviewed witnesses and located her, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement release. HSI identified her as a Florida attorney in a social media post announcing the arrest. Agents were preparing a federal charge of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threat, ICE said, and White remained in custody.
The investigation began Sept. 23 after an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alerted HSI to an encounter at High Caliber Guns, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Sun Herald. White entered the store around 11:30 a.m. and told employees, «I need a gun,» the complaint states.
She allegedly identified herself as an activist and protester and said she wanted a firearm for protection at a protest because she believed «ICE agents are becoming crazy and wild.» But White also told an employee she wanted to buy a gun to kill ICE agents, according to the complaint.
While discussing the weapons, White allegedly gestured toward her torso and asked whether the guns could penetrate an agent's body armor. If they could not, she said she would need to «hit them in the head, shoulder, arm or leg,» the complaint states.
A shop employee reportedly warned White that pointing a gun at law enforcement would likely get her killed. «If I have to die, I have to die,» White responded, according to the complaint. The employee then suggested she buy pepper spray instead of a gun and directed her to a shooting range for training.
White looked at two pistols but left empty-handed after the shop declined to complete the sale and told her she could return in two to three days, the newspaper reported. Store employees then alerted authorities, prompting the investigation.
HSI Gulfport Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Reidell praised the store's vigilance. «The safety of our personnel is paramount, and HSI takes any threat against federal law enforcement officers with the utmost seriousness,» Reidell said. «We commend the vigilance of the citizens for recognizing these threats and notifying law enforcement immediately, which allowed us to intervene swiftly.»
The arrest comes as ICE reports a sharp increase in threats and attacks against its personnel. In its release, the agency cited an increase of more than 1,600% in assaults, 3,300% in vehicle attacks and 8,000% in death threats against ICE officers. It did not provide the underlying totals or the comparison period.
ICE said President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have made clear that violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated, warning that people who threaten or attack officers face arrest and prosecution. The agency said on social media that threats against federal law enforcement «will NOT be tolerated» and that HSI will continue to investigate threats against the men and women who protect the homeland.
Fox News Digital reached out to White for comment. Court records and additional details about her legal representation were not immediately available.
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