A 22-year-old man is in custody after police say he threatened to kill New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte.

Tristan Anderson of Hooksett, New Hampshire is charged with criminal threatening and harm or threats to certain government officials.

The criminal complaint against Anderson released Thursday alleges that he "Did knowingly threaten to commit the crime of homicide and/or assault against Governor Kelly Ayotte, the current governor of the state of New Hampshire, for the purpose of influencing such official's action or in retaliation for action taken as part of such official's government duties."

Threats against Gov. Kelly Ayotte

Anderson was allegedly messaging with a woman on Snapchat and said "I'm going to target the NH Mayor Kelly ayott… With my weapon of mass destruction."

Anderson allegedly made antisemitic remarks in the messages as well.

The woman told police that Anderson owned guns, and that he had made mention of making pipe bombs. Anderson allegedly had shown the woman metal tubes he was using to make the bombs as well as nuts and bolts he was going to put in them, police said.

Police said Anderson had allegedly bought fireworks and taken them apart to create the pipe bombs.

Anderson was arrested August 28. He remains in custody without bail pending his next court appearance. The next scheduled hearing in the case is a dispositional conference on November 20.

Ayotte, a Republican who was previously a senator in New Hampshire, defeated Democrat Joyce Craig in the race for governor last November.

WBZ-TV has reached out to Ayotte's office for comment but has not heard back.

Heated political rhetoric

Anderson's arrest happened before the murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. But it was revealed during a heated national debate about political violence.

Dr. Arie Perliger, a political science professor at UMass Lowell, said these kids of acts are fueled by a national problem with the tone of political rhetoric.

"If every policy that is being promoted by your rivals is some kind of existential threat and a catastrophe and the end of the republic, that further intensifies this kind of emotional stress," Perliger said.