A Louisiana State University student has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill the state governor after he endorsed bringing a live tiger onto the field at a recent college football game.
Jackson Pemberton, 21, of Baton Rouge, was taken into custody on Tuesday over a post on X in which he allegedly threatened Governor Jeff Landry, according to an affidavit seen by the Associated Press.
“I am going to kill you jefflandry,” the post, tagging the governor’s account, read.
Landry helped revive LSU’s tradition to wheel a live, caged Bengal tiger into Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge before kickoff as the LSU Tigers took on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday.
It marked the first time in almost a decade that the tradition was carried out, sparking protests from animal rights activists outside the stadium, AP reported.
Following his arrest, Pemberton told investigators he had been “upset with the governor’s decision regarding the live tiger that was brought on the LSU football field this previous weekend,” the affidavit states.
However, Pemberton insisted to police that his online post had been made in jest.
Pemberton was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish prison on Tuesday evening on one count of threatening a public official, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office told The Independent.
An LSU spokesperson told The Independent that the university was aware of the student’s arrest.
"LSU is aware of the arrest of a student by Louisiana State Police following allegations of a social media post threatening Governor Jeff Landry.
“We take any behavior that threatens the safety of individuals or our community very seriously. LSU is committed to a respectful, responsible, and safe environment for all."
