Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Violence at Tulsa VA

TULSA, Okla. –A Tulsa man who threatened to “murder people” at the Ernest Childers Outpatient Clinic (VA) in Tulsa pleaded guilty today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Zachariah Kade McGuire, 32, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in a federal facility.

“McGuire threatened to kill staff at a federal facility and arrived prepared to execute that threat,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank the staff and officers at the Ernest Childers Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa for their quick actions that averted a tragedy and provided the evidence to prosecute this case.”  

In his plea, McGuire admitted that he called the VA in Tulsa, and threatened to murder people if he was not timely prescribed medications. McGuire further admitted that within an hour of making that call, he entered the Tulsa VA with a loaded .357 revolver.

According to court documents, on Nov. 14, 2022, the defendant’s mother called to schedule an appointment for him at the clinic, which was set for Dec. 13, 2022.

Shortly after, McGuire called back and left a threatening voicemail message, which was reported to the Veterans Affairs Police.

After McGuire arrived at the Tulsa VA, officers made contact with him and asked if he had a weapon. He responded yes, and officers retrieved a .357 magnum revolver from McGuire’s front pocket. The firearm was loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Officers also recovered seven plastic zip ties from McGuire.

McGuire faces up to 5 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Police, Tulsa Police Department, and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert T. Raley and David D. Whipple are prosecuting the case.