Aron McKillips, a member of the anti-government extremist “boogaloo” movement in Ohio, has been sentenced to over three years in prison for threatening to kill law enforcement officers. McKillips posted a photo online of himself pointing a rifle at a police officer parked near his home, leading to his arrest and charges in 2022. He pleaded guilty to interstate communication of threats and unlawful possession of a machine gun, receiving a sentence of 41 months in prison. McKillips was found to possess a “drop-in auto sear,” a device that enables a rifle to fire fully automatic, and had provided several sears to other members of the Boogaloo movement. This possession of an auto sear constituted a machine gun under federal law. The Boogaloo movement advocates for a second civil war and promotes violence against law enforcement. McKillips’ case is another example of the movement’s ties to threats or attacks on law enforcement, such as the fatal shooting of a federal officer in 2020. An attorney for McKillips did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the sentencing.
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