FBI arrests New York man for threatening Georgia Rep. Mike Collins and son-in-law

Federal and Georgia authorities arrest Anthony Lantrell Bennett in Buffalo, New York, for making death threats against Republican Representative Mike Collins and his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II. Bennett faces two counts of terroristic threats, which officials say stem from an inaccurate online story. Collins blames his Democratic Senate opponent, Jon Ossoff, for fueling the threats with inflammatory campaign rhetoric, while Ossoff's campaign strongly condemns all forms of violence.

Arrest and charges of Anthony Lantrell Bennett

• ▪Anthony Lantrell Bennett was charged with two counts of terroristic threats in Georgia for threatening to kill Georgia Representative Mike Collins and his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II.
• ▪Anthony Lantrell Bennett was arrested for allegedly making death threats against Georgia Representative Mike Collins and his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II.
• ▪On October 2, 2026, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Butts County Sheriff's Office arrested Anthony Lantrell Bennett in Buffalo, New York.
• ▪Law enforcement officials determined that Anthony Lantrell Bennett's threats against Georgia Representative Mike Collins were connected to an inaccurate online story, and Bennett acknowledged making the threats.

Butts County Sheriff's Office response

• ▪Butts County Sheriff Gary Long stated that threatening to kill a public official or their family is a criminal act that will be prosecuted, following the arrest of Anthony Lantrell Bennett.
• ▪On October 2, 2026, Butts County Sheriff's Office deputies and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents traveled to New York.

Political fallout from the arrest

• ▪Georgia Representative Mike Collins is running to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in the 2026 Senate election, with Ossoff holding a nine-point lead in polling averages compiled by Decision Desk HQ.
• ▪Georgia Representative Mike Collins blamed his Democratic Senate opponent, Senator Jon Ossoff, suggesting Ossoff's campaign rhetoric and false accusations fueled the death threats made by Anthony Lantrell Bennett.
• ▪A spokesperson for Senator Jon Ossoff's campaign responded to the arrest of Anthony Lantrell Bennett by stating that Senator Ossoff condemns all forms and threats of violence.

Controversy involving David Alan Scheer II

• ▪Representative Mike Collins condemned all forms of antisemitism in August 2026, stating that his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, does not speak for Representative Mike Collins.
• ▪Representative Mike Collins' son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, faced controversy after CNN reported in July 2026 that David Alan Scheer II had shared antisemitic and white nationalist rhetoric on social media.

Broader context of political violence

• ▪The threat against Representative Mike Collins occurred amid a rise in political violence, including the 2024 near-assassination of Donald Trump, the 2025 assassination of Charlie Kirk, and the 2025 murder of a Minnesota state lawmaker.
• ▪In his statement following the arrest of Anthony Lantrell Bennett, Representative Mike Collins referenced Butler, Pennsylvania, and Utah Valley University as sites associated with political violence.

Debatable claims

• ▪Jon Ossoff bears responsibility for the death threats against Mike Collins
• ▪A candidate's family members are legitimate targets for political scrutiny
• ▪Inflammatory campaign rhetoric is the primary driver of rising political violence