The FBI is investigating an assassination threat against Rep. Ilhan Omar found scrawled on a bathroom stall in Minnesota, according to a report.
An image posted on Instagram last month shows the words “Assassinate Ilhan Omar” in black in the men’s room at a Holiday gas station in Rogers, Minn.
The ominous graffiti gained traction in social media when the freshman congresswoman tweeted about the Instagram post on Friday.
“No wonder why I am on the ‘Hitlist’ of a domestic terrorist and ‘Assassinate Ilhan Omar’ is written on my local gas stations,” she wrote.
“Look no further, the GOP’s anti-Muslim display likening me to a terrorist rocks in state capitols and no one is condemning them!” she added along with a link to an NBC News article about an anti-Muslim display in the West Virginia statehouse.
An FBI spokesman in Minnesota told twincities.com that the bureau is in the “initial stages” of investigating the matter.
“We are aware of that piece of graffiti at the convenience store and are looking into it with some of our law enforcement partners,” Kevin Smith told the news outlet.
Brian Raines, 45, who posted the image on Instagram, said he was “appalled” when he saw the writing on Feb. 22.
“I saw it and I took a picture of it to show the manager,” he told twincities.com. “His complete lack of interest bothered me. It’s Sharpie. You could have done anything to take it off. He seemed offended that I even said something about it.”
He said Instagram removed his post because he was told it violated the site’s content policy.
“She’s a duly elected official. This is not acceptable. It really bothered me to see it in my town. This isn’t even her district,” he said.
A person answering the phone at the gas station declined comment to the news outlet Monday.
Omar has come under fire by Jewish lawmakers and advocacy groups who accused her of anti-Semitism for claiming pro-Israel members of Congress have dual loyalties.
“I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee,” she tweeted Sunday.
Omar — who is the first of two Muslim women to serve in Congress — was rebuked by House leaders last month for tweeting, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” suggesting politicians who support Israel only do so for money from pro-Israeli lobbyists.
She later apologized, but affirmed her concerns about the role lobbyists play in the government process.
The House will vote Wednesday on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism amid the outcry.
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