Pittsburgh, Pa. − May 13, 2026 − Senator Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny) issues this statement today, following news of the arrest of Adam Berryhill for Terroristic Threats against her and other Members of the General Assembly:
“Yesterday, I received a routine notification from a Lebanon County Magistrate notifying me of a Preliminary Hearing for an individual who was charged with making Terroristic Threats against me. This was the first time I had heard about these threats or this person.
I then learned from another Member that this person had named me and 19 other legislators on a hit list for an “operation” that he intended to conduct on Memorial Day.
This is unfortunately not the first, second, or even the third death threat that I’ve received during my time as a State Senator. But this is the first time that someone has been arrested as a result.
I’m scared that there has been another threat to my life, for myself, for my staff, my family, and any innocent bystanders. But I’m also furious as to how this incident was communicated to me. These threats were made over a month ago, and yesterday was the first time I was made aware of them. This threat was credible enough to investigate and make an arrest. However, neither I nor my local police departments were ever notified of the danger that I and other Members were in.
I hope there is a full independent investigation to find out where the communication breakdown happened to ensure that victims of terroristic threats and political violence are notified in a timely fashion.
Death threats should not be part of the job of being an elected official. The solution to rising political violence is not to normalize it, or to denounce it in a single statement, while simultaneously stoking the flames of violence at every turn to score political points. Instead, we should be working to ensure that every Pennsylvanian has what they need – healthcare, food, a safe home to live in, a good paying job, and real community to lean on.”
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