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MPs may get panic buttons after minister reports death threats

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he received a number of death threats on Instagram after introducing gun control bill
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Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he is looking into giving MPs panic buttons to increase their personal security. 

In an interview, Mendicino revealed he has been subject to death threats on social media in recent weeks. 

Speaking to The Canadian Press, the public safety minister says he and the police, as well as Parliamentary Protective Services, are reassessing the security of MPs after a series of threats and intimidating incidents. 

Among the measures being actively considered is giving MPs panic buttons to carry around to immediately alert law enforcement if they are facing a threat. 

Mendicino says he has received a number of death threats on Instagram after introducing a bill in Parliament last month bringing in gun controls to prevent gun violence. 

The posts from an account entitled "eliteterrorist" include: "Somebody's gonna shoot you to death." 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June, 20, 2022.

The Canadian Press