Background: Supporters arrive before then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File). Inset: Cody Smith (West Virginia State Police).
A West Virginia man is accused of threatening to kill supporters of President Donald Trump as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Cody Smith, 20, has been charged with making terroristic threats, Harrison County jail records reviewed by Law&Crime show. He was booked into jail on Thursday.
The investigation began on Jan. 19, when the Harrison County Sheriff's Office contacted the West Virginia State Police about someone making threats. According to authorities, Smith had posted videos of himself where he stated his intent to harm others.
In the videos, Smith called the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and said "he was going to attack and kill ICE agents," Clarksburg-based NBC and ABC affiliate WBOY reported. He also allegedly threatened the person who answered his call, CBS affiliate WDTV added.
As investigators continued looking into the suspect, they are said to have found social media posts where his rhetoric went beyond targeting law enforcement officers. Smith reportedly expressed his desire to "murder Trump supporters and or war supporters or service members willing to bootlick," as well as target the president himself.
The suspect was arrested and booked into the North Central Regional Jail in Greenwood, with his bond set at $75,000. He pleaded not guilty to the charge against him, according to media organization WVNews. By state law, if he is found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to three years behind bars.
Harrison County is located in northern West Virginia, not far from the state's border with Pennsylvania.
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