A bomb threat “for Palestine” directed at U.S. Congress Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s home in Rome, Georgia, on Monday afternoon, resulted in an accident that claimed the life of a bystander. The threat, which authorities suspect originated from a Russian IP address, is now under federal investigation.
The Rome Police Department received an email with the subject line “For Palestine,” claiming a pipe bomb had been hidden in Greene’s mailbox. The message, which ended with “VIVA VIVA PALESTINA,” threatened to detonate the alleged device over the weekend or upon the mailbox being opened.
As law enforcement rushed to respond, a member of the Rome Police bomb squad, driving a personal vehicle, was involved in a fatal collision. Tammie Pickelsimer, 66, was leaving a private lot when her vehicle was struck on the driver’s side by the officer’s 2015 GMC Sierra. Pickelsimer was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Rep. Greene expressed her sorrow on social media, stating, “I’m heartsick right now. An innocent woman died today in an auto accident involving a member of the Rome Police bomb squad who was responding to the threat at my home. These violent political threats have fatal consequences. It’s an undue strain on our law enforcement who must treat them seriously.”
The bomb squad, upon investigating Greene’s residence, determined there was no active threat. The case has since been handed over to the FBI.
