Garrett Neese/ Daily Mining Gazette Bob Lorinser, the Democratic U.S. House of Representatives candidate for Michigan's 1st District, speaks during a town hall in Houghton on March 15. The Michigan State Police has identified and interviewed a person believed to have made an online death threat against Lorinser last week before a campaign event in Antrim County.

HOUGHTON — The person suspected of making an online threat against Democratic U.S. House candidate Bob Lorinser has been identified and interviewed, the Michigan State Police said Tuesday.

Lorinser’s campaign received a text on Thursday in response to an event invitation in Elk Rapids in Antrim County. The person claimed they would assassinate Lorinser during the event “using a Remington .270 rifle from the rooftop of a nearby building, the moment he exits his vehicle,” Lorinser said in a Facebook post.

Lorinser is running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman in Michigan’s 1st District, which includes the Upper Peninsula and much of northern Michigan. Lorinser addressed the incident at a meet-and-greet in Houghton Saturday.

“Is that what we want?” he said. “Is that who we are? We need to get back together.”

The Elk Rapids police department began the investigation, which is now being handled by the Michigan State Police, Lorinser’s campaign said Monday. Because of the specific nature of the threat, Lorinser also reported the threat to the FBI.

Monday, the MSP interviewed the person believed to have made the threat. Police are still preparing a report on the incident, which will be forwarded to a prosecutor when complete, said Spl/Lt. Derrick Carroll, public information officer for the MSP’s Seventh District in Gaylord.

“I am grateful to the Michigan State Police for making strides in this investigation,” Lorinser said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “Thanks to the response of law enforcement, we believe this particular threat no longer poses any danger to my life or anyone else’s.

All of our (events) are open to the public — to anyone regardless of political party — and all will fearlessly move forward as planned.”