A man has been arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping and stalking the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee.
When police arrested 25-year-old Trenton Abston this week, they recovered a Taser, gloves, rope and duct tape from his vehicle.
Police said Abston scaled a wall at the mayor’s residence on Sunday.
"He knocked on the door with gloves on, a full pocket, and a nervous demeanor," Mayor Paul Young said in a post on X.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by The New York Times, Young did not open the door, and Abston fled.
The incident occurred amid heightened concerns for elected officials’ safety. On Saturday, two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses were shot at their homes.
State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband died from their injuries, while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife survived what authorities described as “targeted” and “politically motivated” attacks.
In response to the current political climate, Young called for a shift in how people engage with those they disagree with.
"The angry rhetoric, the hateful speech, and the heated threats create a culture where violence feels like a next step instead of a red line. We cannot allow that line to be crossed. Political violence and intimidation –whether threatened or enacted– simply cannot become our norm," he said.
