President Donald Trump speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
Three Alabama college students are facing federal charges after hurling online threats at President Donald Trump ahead of a rally at their school, saying things like "he gotta die bro" and "we only got one chance let's take it," according to court documents.
University of South Alabama students Amare Jemal Woods, Cameron Lamark Lewis and Kayla Leaann Smith were taken into federal custody Friday over a series of social media posts that the FBI says targeted Trump before his appearance at the school's Mitchell Center in Mobile that day. All three are charged with threatening the president.
The alleged threats were all made separately and are outlined in probable cause affidavits filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.
"N—s gon remember the University of South Alabama the same way they remember Utah Valley University," Lewis allegedly wrote in an X post, referencing the Utah school where Charlie Kirk was shot and killed.
"IF YALL CAN **** Q50 YOU CAN **** THAT N—," Lewis said in another post, referencing the "ambush shooting death of rapper Mikquale Cooper, also known as 'Bloodhound Q50,' in Chicago," according to the probable cause affidavit.
"He gotta die bro," Woods allegedly said in a Sept. 29 TikTok comment responding to a post about Trump's visit to the South Alabama campus.
Also using TikTok, Smith wrote, "We only got one chance let's take it," along with an image that the FBI says is an "individual mimicking holding a firearm," according to the affidavit.
Smith was allegedly replying to a Sept. 29 post on TikTok that said, "pov: when I overhead everybody at south alabama talking about trump coming to our homecoming."
The University of South Alabama released the following statement to AL.com on Friday night:
The University of South Alabama unequivocally condemns any form of threats directed at elected officials or any individual with whom we disagree.We encourage open dialogue and active civic participation, and having a difference of opinion is a natural part of any vibrant community. However, there is a clear line between exercising free expression and engaging in intimidation or unlawful conduct.
The FBI describes Woods as a freshman aerospace engineering student. Lewis is studying biology and works as a Walgreens pharmacy technician. Smith is studying elementary education.
Woods attorney, Jason Darley, told AL.com that he is a "diminutive kid" who is "the furthest away from any defendant I've ever represented in federal court in 21 years," the outlet reports.
"It's unfortunate because he's a very young, very small kid and he's sitting in federal court," Darley said.
Attorneys for the other two students have not responded to AL.com's requests for comment, the outlet reports.