Federal authorities say separate social media posts surfaced before Trump’s Oct. 2 rally at the University of South Alabama.
MOBILE, AL — Three University of South Alabama students face federal charges accusing them of threatening President Donald Trump on social media in the days before his visit to the Mobile campus, according to the FBI and federal court records cited by local news organizations.
Amare Jemal Woods, Cameron Lamark Lewis and Kayla Leaann Smith were arrested Oct. 2 and charged with threats against the president. The FBI’s Mobile Division said the arrests were made in coordination with the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, university and local police, and other agencies. Authorities said the investigation focused on allegedly threatening communications directed toward the president.
The arrests came as Trump traveled to Mobile for a political rally at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Center. Federal investigators had been reviewing social media ahead of the presidential visit when they found the posts that became the basis for the three cases, according to affidavits described in news reports. The allegations against the students involve separate posts, and authorities have not publicly alleged that the three acted together as part of a coordinated plan.
Investigators accuse Woods of posting a TikTok comment on Sept. 27 in response to material about Trump’s planned appearance. According to the federal affidavit, the comment said, “he gotta die bro.” Authorities used information associated with the social media account and university records as part of their effort to identify the person who allegedly made the post. Woods, 18, has been identified by his attorney as an aerospace engineering student.
Lewis is accused of making two posts on X on Sept. 26. An FBI affidavit described one as referencing the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Investigators interpreted the post as a threat in the context of Trump’s upcoming appearance at the University of South Alabama. Another post allegedly referred to a separate fatal shooting. Federal investigators used information from the social media platform, other records and university information in identifying Lewis, according to reporting based on the affidavit.
Smith’s case centers on a Sept. 29 TikTok response to a post about Trump’s planned university visit. According to the FBI affidavit, she wrote, “We only got one chance let’s take it,” and followed the comment with an image showing a person mimicking the act of holding a firearm. Investigators said information associated with the TikTok account helped them identify Smith, who was described in court records as an elementary education student.
The University of South Alabama condemned threats against elected officials while also emphasizing the distinction between protected expression and unlawful conduct. In a statement released after the arrests, the university said it supports open dialogue and civic participation but said threats and intimidation cross a legal boundary. The university worked with federal and local law enforcement during the investigation surrounding Trump’s visit.
Jason Darley, an attorney representing Woods, has questioned whether his client’s social media comment amounted to a criminal threat. Darley said the case could raise a First Amendment issue and argued that Woods did not intend to harm the president. He also acknowledged that federal law treats threats against a president seriously. Whether the statements at issue meet the legal standard for a criminal threat will be determined through the federal court process.
The three defendants were initially held in federal custody as the president visited Mobile. They were released after detention proceedings on Oct. 5 under conditions imposed by a federal judge, according to FOX10. Those conditions include restrictions on social media, weapons, contact among the defendants and travel outside the Southern District of Alabama.
The students also waived their right to preliminary hearings, according to FOX10. Darley said Woods’ case is expected to go before a federal grand jury later in October. The allegations against all three defendants remain pending, and the charges have not been proven in court.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 6, 2026.