Three students from the University of South Alabama have been taken into federal custody due to social media comments that threatened President Donald Trump, just hours before he was set to rally on their campus.
The students, Amare Jemal Woods, Cameron Lamark Lewis, and Kayla Leaann Smith, each face a federal charge related to threats against the president, as reported following their arrests on Friday. Investigators seem to be viewing these incidents as isolated rather than part of a larger scheme.
Woods, a freshman studying aerospace engineering, reportedly made a comment on a TikTok video regarding the president’s visit, stating, “he gotta die bro.” This detail comes from an FBI affidavit cited by a local news outlet.
Smith, who is majoring in elementary education, allegedly responded to another TikTok related to Trump’s appearance by writing, “We only got one chance let’s take it,” and shared an image of someone mimicking a gun gesture.
Lewis is said to have posted on X, referring to the University of South Alabama in a context similar to that of Utah Valley University—an institution that had faced tragedy last year involving conservative activist Charlie Kirk. A follow-up comment from Lewis also suggested a violent act.
Prior to Trump’s scheduled appearance on October 2, federal agents were monitoring social media and utilized emergency disclosure requests alongside campus police to link the posts to the students. Woods’s attorney, Jason Darley, dismissed any implication that his client posed a legitimate threat, stating that if Woods is a danger, then many others might be considered threats as well. A conviction could result in up to five years in prison.
Currently, the three students remain in custody, awaiting detention hearings planned for Monday afternoon.
Their arrests coincide with the discovery of other threatening comments online, including one in a protest group chat where an individual named Roman Fulford expressed a desire to “BLOW UP TRUMP.” Authorities have not indicated that these specific comments were grounds for the charges against the students.
The Republican National Committee arranged for the use of the Mitchell Center for the event, which the university did not officially sponsor. During his speech, Trump remarked, “It sort of all began here.”
The University of South Alabama issued a statement denouncing the threats, asserting their opposition to any threats directed at elected officials or individuals with whom there might be disagreement.
