Oahu Man Charged with Threatening to Kill Governor of Michigan and Shoot Up Michigan State Capitol

News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Tuesday, June 2, 2026

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ronald Saville, 48, of Honolulu, was charged by criminal complaint on June 1, 2026, with sending interstate communications containing threats.  Saville was located and arrested in Abilene, Texas on June 1, 2026.  His initial appearance was held in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on June 1, 2026, and he was ordered detained pending transportation to the District of Hawaii.

According to court records, on May 9, 2026, Saville emailed the Michigan State Police identifying himself, referencing the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, and stating that he was “going to walk in with a gun at A.R. 15 and open fire and kill as many people as possible.  I mean what I say I’m not a joke.”  A short while later, Saville sent a second email to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stating, “just to let you know on Tuesday second, Lancy, Michigan is never gonna be the same again going to walk into the state capital shoot it up and kill as many people as possible than that I’m coming for you[.]”

Saville called the FBI on May 12, 2026, and told an FBI agent that he wanted to kill Governor Whitmer because of her political affiliation, that he had been conducting online research to plan a trip to Michigan to carry out his threat, and that he still intended to carry out his threat.

Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaii for making threats toward former United States President George W. Bush in 2006 and toward former United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway in 2012.

If convicted, Saville faces up to 5 years in prison per count and a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.

The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

FBI is investigating the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.

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