\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPennsylvania state Sens. Lindsey Williams and Jay Costa are calling for improved communication from law enforcement after discovering their names were linked to online threats weeks after the suspect\u2019s arrest.”I don’t know what it’s going to take to change the way the law-enforcement communities communicate with each other about threats, and then communicate that to members,” Williams said on Wednesday.Investigators said they first became aware of concerning threats against state lawmakers on April 28, posted on X by Adam George Berryhill of Lebanon. Berryhill was arrested on May 6, but Williams and Costa said they were only informed this week that their names were attached to the threats. “Our biggest concern is the lack of notification that occurred through this process,” Costa said. “I had no idea what these threats were, the context of them, and I didn’t even know about the hit list until later in the day,” Williams said. Both senators expressed frustration, referencing a 2025 incident in Minnesota where a Democratic lawmaker was shot and killed in her home by a suspect who had posted a hit list on social media. Costa said safety logistics were discussed after that incident, which made the lack of communication in this case even more troubling. “It’s quite frankly very disturbing that there are gaps and enough, which, by the way, we felt we had addressed after the Minnesota shootings,” Costa said. Williams, who has experienced threats before, emphasized that such incidents should not be normalized. “We shouldn’t treat this as normal, and we should take it seriously, and it should be communicated to everybody so that we’re aware,” Williams said. Berryhill is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday.STATEMENT FROM PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERSBelow is a statement from House Speaker Joanna McClinton, Majority Leader Matt Bradford, Republican Leader Jesse Topper and Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa:A central Pennsylvania man was arrested last week for allegedly singling out several members of the General Assembly as targets on a Memorial Day hitlist. These threats are extremely disturbing, not just to the members identified, but to all public figures who are contending with an increasingly hostile environment.As leaders of the General Assembly, we know that disagreement and debate are features of a healthy democracy. Threats of violence and harm are not. We condemn any threat against any of our colleagues who are faithfully serving their communities and pledge to support mental health care, intervention, and law enforcement funding that make our state safer.The threats are a symptom of a greater sickness in our democracy. The escalation of political violence has reached an astounding level, impacting elected officials from school boards to the president of the United States. Pennsylvania has not been immune to that violence.As Pennsylvanians we can\u2019t and won\u2019t allow political violence to become commonplace in our commonwealth. We won\u2019t allow it to discourage good people from becoming involved in their communities and seeking public office. We won\u2019t accept it as the consequence of public service.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPITTSBURGH \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania state Sens. Lindsey Williams and Jay Costa are calling for improved communication from law enforcement after discovering their names were linked to online threats weeks after the suspect\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know what it’s going to take to change the way the law-enforcement communities communicate with each other about threats, and then communicate that to members,” Williams said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Investigators said they first became aware of concerning threats against state lawmakers on April 28, posted on X by Adam George Berryhill of Lebanon. Berryhill was arrested on May 6, but Williams and Costa said they were only informed this week that their names were attached to the threats. <\/p>\n
“Our biggest concern is the lack of notification that occurred through this process,” Costa said. <\/p>\n
“I had no idea what these threats were, the context of them, and I didn’t even know about the hit list until later in the day,” Williams said. <\/p>\n