Jerol Gohrick leads a district committee for the North Dakota Republican Party and founded a group called Sons of Liberty. According to court records, he pointed a rifle at two men on a work site, threatened to shoot one in the head, and told the crew he’d put them “in the ground.” This isn’t the first time he’s been accused of threatening people with force. His allies are already calling it a conspiracy.
Jerol Gohrick, the chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party’s District 2 committee, was arrested and charged with two felony counts of terrorizing after investigators say he pointed a rifle at two workers and threatened to kill them.
What Court Records Say
According to a criminal affidavit, the Williams County Sheriff’s Department got a call about a dispute involving a firearm on May 1. A deputy responded and learned that Gohrick, 53, had arrived at a work site on his property shortly after 6:30 p.m. and became confrontational with the crew, questioning why they were using certain equipment.
Gohrick left, then came back a short time later, this time pointing a rifle at two of the workers, according to the affidavit. One worker said he hid behind a truck, fearing for his life. Another told investigators Gohrick pointed the rifle in his face and threatened to “blow his head off” if he kept taking pictures, and separately threatened to put the work crew “in the ground.”
Deputies found Gohrick on the property and took him into custody. A rifle was recovered from his truck.
Each of the two felony terrorizing counts he faces carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Bond Set, Court Dates Ahead
At a bond hearing on May 4, District Court Judge Kirsten Sjue set bail at $10,000 cash or surety. As a condition of release, Gohrick was ordered to avoid contact with the two men who say he threatened them. He’s due back in court June 3 for a preliminary hearing and arraignment.
Gohrick’s attorney, Elizabeth Ledgerwood Pendlay, said in a statement that her client is “presumed innocent” and that they intend to “properly use all available legal and constitutional process to advance a vigorous defense.”
Who Gohrick Is in North Dakota Politics
This isn’t a fringe figure with no standing in the party. Gohrick chairs the NDGOP’s District 2 committee, covering the northwest corner of the state, and founded the conservative grassroots group Sons of Liberty. He’s a leading voice in the populist faction that recently took control of party leadership positions, a faction currently locked in an open, ongoing fight with the traditionally conservative incumbents who hold every statewide office in North Dakota.
Gohrick made statewide headlines recently for backing a resolution at the party’s state convention that would have stripped party affiliation from incumbents who boycotted the convention over dissatisfaction with current leadership. He had also proposed a party rule that would fine Republicans up to $100,000 for straying from the party platform.
This isn’t the first time Gohrick has been accused of threatening people, either. Back in 2022, he threatened members of the Grand Forks City Council during a public meeting, according to reporting at the time.
The Party’s Response
North Dakota GOP Chair Matthew Simon issued a carefully neutral statement: “These allegations are serious. We believe in the rule of law and trust that the legal process will proceed fairly, transparently, and without interference.” District 2 state Rep. Donald Longmuir declined to comment.
Not everyone in Gohrick’s corner has been that measured. Sharlet Mohr, a Republican candidate for the state House in a Williston-area district, posted a profanity-laced video on Facebook claiming Gohrick’s arrest was politically motivated: “Jerol’s politically involved in our community. And you arrest him because he supposedly did something?” Bob Wheeler, a former NDGOP legislative candidate and past candidate for party chair, made his own video alleging a conspiracy behind the arrest.
Neither has offered evidence for that claim. What they’re disputing is a criminal affidavit describing a man who allegedly pointed a loaded rifle at two workers and threatened to kill them, filed by law enforcement who found the rifle exactly where witnesses said it would be.
The Bottom Line
A sitting district chair of the North Dakota Republican Party is facing two felony charges after allegedly pointing a rifle at two workers and threatening to shoot one in the head, in an incident that isn’t the first time he’s been accused of threatening people with force. He remains free on a $10,000 bond ahead of a June 3 court date, and the party’s own leadership has said only that it will “monitor” the situation, even as some of Gohrick’s political allies are already framing the criminal case against him as a political attack rather than engaging with what the affidavit actually alleges.