A Nebraska man is in police custody after officials say he made threats against Catholic schools and nuns as well as the children of the state's Catholic governor.
The Nebraska State Patrol said they initially arrested 32-year-old Ean Halstead on June 29. The patrol said in a press release that police were investigating a threatening online message against Columbus Catholic Schools and the family of state Gov. Jim Pillen.
The investigation led police to Halstead, who was arrested on June 29 after a standoff at his apartment in Omaha. He was charged with obstructing a police officer and failing to obey a lawful order.
A search at his residence revealed "evidence linking [Halstead] to the threatening message sent to Columbus Catholic Schools," the patrol said. He was subsequently re-arrested on July 17 and charged with "terroristic threats and destruction of evidence."
Local news reported that the message, posted to the Facebook page of Columbus Catholic Schools, had declared: "I'm going to shoot up this school and kill Jim Pillen's children and a few nuns for (expletive) funsies."
A spokesman for Pillen said the governor's office was "extremely grateful" for law enforcement's "quick and thorough work to track down this individual and ensure the security of the First Family."
"We have zero tolerance for political violence here in Nebraska, including threats to carry it out. If you threaten violence against a public official or their family in this state, you will be found and held accountable," the governor's office said.
Pillen has four children with his wife Suzanne. He has been governor of the state since 2023.
Earlier in 2026 he told EWTN News that there was "no way I could possibly be governor without my faith."
His faith life includes the regular praying of the rosary; describing his average day, he said: "I get up and I pray to do God's will."
