Columbus man visited by Secret Service following Facebook comment

“Watch what you say on Facebook” was the message to Columbus resident Gary Barry from the Secret Service following an inflammatory comment made on March 7.

In response to a post about the Democratic presidential candidates being in town, Barry wrote, “Where do we send the bomb?”

Barry says that the comment was a joke, but the Secret Service took it very seriously.

Armed agents showed up on Barry’s doorstep while he was at work and waited for him to get home, at which point Barry said they questioned him and his wife for about thirty minutes, asking him if he was racist, if he was anti-Muslim, if he had any thoughts of suicide, or any thoughts of assassinating the president.

NBC4 reports that Jonathan Schuck, resident Agent In-Charge for the Secret Service, confirms that Barry was questioned, and said that responding to threats made against the president or presidential candidates on social media is standard procedure.

Schuck said making such threats is a chargeable offense that carries a penalty of up to five years in federal prison.

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