UPDATE Nov. 25, 2019: Capitol Police have determined Virginia Beach School Board member Vicky Manning did not commit a crime or make a threat with her Facebook post about Del. Ibraheem Samirah, according to a copy of the report and investigation forward to news organizations by Vicky Manning’s attorney.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Capitol Police in Richmond are looking into whether a recent post by a Virginia Beach School Board member was a threat against a state delegate.
Officers were contacted after Vicky Manning wrote a Facebook post Monday night.
Manning, who was elected to the Virginia Beach School Board in 2016, took to Facebook to air some displeasure with democratic Del. Ibraheem Samirah and his political views.
“A school board member who is just supposed to be focused only on school,” Samirah said.
Samirah, who represents Fairfax County, heard about the post the day after it went up. He said he is used to people opposing his views, but not a school board member.
Manning voiced her thoughts about topics such as abortion, minimum wage and pre-K programs. She wrote she’s been in Virginia her whole life and it makes her weep.
She went on to say she was planning on purchasing “an arsenal” over the next two months.
Samirah felt the arsenal statement was a threat.
Manning refused to do an on-camera interview with 10 On Your Side, but answered questions through email. She said she was simply sharing her thoughts on the election and no reasonable person would consider it a threat, calling it “utterly ridiculous and a waste of police resources.”
When asked about the arsenal reference, Manning, who is a real estate agent, said she is put into situations where she is fearful and needs to protect herself. She pointed to her 2nd Amendment rights.
Samirah contacted Capitol Police.
“They are taking this very seriously and they are looking into [it],” Samirah said.