Three charged with threats against President Trump identified as South Alabama students – NBC 15

Three University of South Alabama students face federal charges accusing them of making social media threats against President Donald Trump ahead of his scheduled Oct. 2 visit to the university, according to court documents.

Separate criminal complaints identify the defendants as Cameron Lamark Lewis, Kayla Leaann Smith, and Amare Jemal Woods. Each is charged with threats against the president.

FBI affidavits describe posts made on X and TikTok between Sept. 26 and Sept. 29, 2026. Investigators said they discovered the statements while reviewing social media ahead of Trump’s planned visit to Mobile.

Lewis is accused of posting two threatening statements Sept. 26 on an X account using the handle “@askednreceived.”

According to the affidavit, one post said people would remember the University of South Alabama the same way they remember Utah Valley University. An FBI agent interpreted that as a reference to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at the Utah campus. The agent said a second post referenced another fatal shooting.

Investigators linked the account to Lewis through information from X and Apple, social media research and university records, the affidavit states. University police identified Lewis as a current philosophy student, and campus access records showed him entering a residence hall Oct. 1.

Smith is accused of posting a threatening TikTok comment Sept. 29 under the display name “Kayla Wayla.”

The comment appeared beneath a video discussing Trump coming to the university’s homecoming, according to the affidavit.

“We only got one chance let’s take it,” the comment read. Investigators said it was accompanied by an image of a person mimicking holding a firearm.

The FBI said a phone number supplied by TikTok matched records associated with Smith. University police identified her as a current elementary education student, according to the affidavit.

Woods is accused of posting “he gotta die bro,” followed by a crying emoji, from the TikTok account “jemaltherealone” on Sept. 27. The affidavit says the comment responded to a post about Trump’s planned campus visit.

Woods’ attorney, Jason Darley, says the case should serve as a warning about the line between political speech and what authorities may view as a threat.

“You can criticize the president’s weight and the fact that he’s orange and his policies on economic factors, the war in Iran, but you can’t make a threat,” Darley said. “Unfortunately, young kids, they get wrapped up in all this social media stuff, and the next thing you know is the FIB is literally calling you.”

Investigators said records from TikTok and Snapchat connected the account to a phone number and university email address associated with Woods. University police identified him as a current student in the aerospace engineering department with a home address in Saraland, according to the affidavit.

Darley also says he believes the words themselves, and whether prosecutors can prove they amount to a true threat, will be central to the case. He says his client and the other students have gained national attention, and that public reaction has varied significantly outside the region.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine P. Nelson signed arrest warrants for Smith and Woods on Oct. 1 and for Lewis shortly after midnight Oct. 2. The documents reviewed bear Oct. 2 filing stamps.

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