Michigan state Rep. Matt Hall (R-Marshall), right, speaks with reporters on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, at the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/David Eggert)

One of Michigan’s staunchest opponents of gun reform is state Rep. Matt Hall (R-Marshall), who reportedly emailed multiple death threats to another student while he was attending Western Michigan University in 2001.

According to police records obtained by American Independent Foundation and published on its news platform Tuesday, Hall sent death threats to a college student in Maryland in 2001.

“YOU BETTER NOT GO TO THE CHRISTMAS PARTY TOMORROW NIGHT! JUST A WORD OF ADVICE!!” Hall said in an email. “THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN AND WE DON’T LIKE YOUR KIND TREATING LADIES LIKE [redacted] WITHOUT DIGNITY. SHE IS A FINE LADY YOU DON’T NEED TO BE SAYING SHIT ABOUT HER! WE ARE GOING TO IMPOSE OUR SOUTHERN WAYS ON YOU! I’VE GOT A SHOTGUN RIFLE AND I JUST PUT A BULLET IN IT WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!”

Hall represents District 42, an area that includes the city of Kalamazoo, and he also serves as the House Minority Leader in the assembly. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and public administration.

Then-student Hall signed a statement saying he thought the unnamed man sent threatening instant messages to him, when that person had not. Hall apologized in a statement to the police at the time, saying, “I don’t have a shotgun or have a bullet with his name on it. I wasn’t going to harm him. I had no intention to hurt him. I realize it was unacceptable and inappropriate. I am sorry for causing him stress. I will not threaten anyone else.”

Since joining the Michigan Legislature in 2018, Hall has been a strong opponent of gun reform. In 2022, Hall authored a bill to loosen penalties for violating concealed carry laws. He also voted against the several bills passed by the Democratic majority that implemented popular public safety policies like universal background checks, safe storage requirements and a red flag law.