Police in Manteca, a Central Valley city in San Joaquin County, California, are investigating a threatening Facebook post aimed at Mayor Gary Singh, who is standing for re-election, KION News and KCRA 3 in Sacramento reported.

Source: KION News

The Manteca Police Department said it became aware on Monday of a statement posted in the Downtown Manteca Facebook Group that suggested someone should shoot the mayor. During the investigation, officers confirmed that the account the alleged threat came from was a legitimate account, the reports said.

Police have not released the name of the person behind the post, citing the ongoing investigation. Once the investigation is finished, the case will be forwarded to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office for review, according to the department.

"The Manteca Police Department wants to be absolutely clear: threats of violence against elected officials, community members, or anyone else will not be tolerated in our city," police said in a statement. "Every person has the right to express their opinions, voice concerns, and disagree with elected leaders. However, there is a clear difference between expressing an opinion and threatening someone's life."

Singh, a longtime Manteca resident, has served in city government since 2011, when he was a planning commissioner. He was elected to the city council in 2016 and elected mayor in 2022, and is now seeking a new term. Manteca sits in a part of California's Central Valley with a large Punjabi community, and Singh is one of a growing number of Punjabi-origin mayors in the region.

Police have not announced any arrest in the case. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the District Attorney's Office files charges or police release further details.