West Virginia Librarian Faces Terroristic Threat Charges Over Alleged Trump Assassination Plot
A public librarian from West Virginia has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after authorities allege she used social media to rally support for an assassination plot targeting former President Donald Trump. Morgan Morrow, a 39-year-old employee of the Jackson County Public Library, was taken into custody following an investigation into a since-deleted TikTok video.
Alleged Social Media Recruitment for Violence
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office stated that Morrow allegedly utilised the TikTok platform to recruit ‘individuals to pursue and assassinate’ the former president. In the video, which showed her wearing rainbow eyeshadow and pink glasses, she superimposed text reading: ‘Surely a sn!per [sniper] with a terminal illness can’t be a big ask out of 343 million.’ She captioned the post ‘Luigi can't save us all,’ a probable reference to Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of a UnitedHealthcare CEO.
Authorities, who were alerted to the content, interpreted the post as a direct call to violence against Trump. The criminal complaint reviewed by local media indicates that the nature of such content is considered to be designed to encourage or inspire others to carry out the threatened act, irrespective of the speaker's personal intent to participate directly.
Police Investigation and Arrest Details
According to the official complaint, officers detained Morrow from her residence in Ripley, West Virginia, and transported her to the sheriff's office for questioning. During interrogation, Morrow reportedly told police that she had no actual intention of mobilising people to kill the president through her TikTok activity. Despite this assertion, she was formally charged with one count of terroristic threats.
Following her arrest, Morrow was booked into the South Central Regional Jail. Her mugshot, in which she is seen wearing a skeleton sweater and frowning blankly at the camera, was released to the public. Sheriff Ross Mellinger commented on the case, drawing a clear distinction between lawful criticism and illicit incitement. ‘It’s okay to be critical of the government. It’s OK to be critical of things you don’t agree with,’ Mellinger stated. ‘But when you start promoting the violence and you’re promoting a plan to carry out the violence and recruiting other people to carry out the plan for you, that’s clearly crossing the line.’
Context of Previous Assassination Attempts and Online Reaction
This alleged plot emerges against a backdrop of several attempted assassinations targeting Donald Trump. The most notable incident occurred in July 2024 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet struck Trump's ear. The gunman, Thomas Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service agent at the scene after fatally shooting one attendee and injuring two others.
The comments section under Morrow’s now-removed TikTok video apparently revealed support for her alleged scheme. One respondent replied, ‘Right?! It's a big country,’ while others listed additional conservative figures they wished to see targeted. Proposed names included Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, whom commenters suggested should be killed ‘first,’ alongside Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
Library's Response and Employee's Political Posting History
In the wake of the arrest, the Jackson County Public Library issued a formal statement distancing the institution from Morrow’s alleged actions. ‘The comments recently made by an employee do not reflect the mission, values, or standards of conduct of our organization,’ the library declared. ‘We take our responsibilities to the public and our supporters seriously and are committed to professionalism, respect, and integrity in all that we do. The views expressed are made in an individual capacity and do not represent the position of the organization. We are addressing the matter internally in accordance to our established policies and procedures.’
An examination of Morrow’s social media profile indicates a history of politically charged posts shared with her approximately 1,300 followers. In January, shortly after Renee Good was shot dead by ICE agents in Minneapolis, Morrow posted a video of herself crying with the caption: ‘How long can we keep going on like this? F*ck ICE.’ She reiterated this sentiment in another video shared days later.
The investigation remains ongoing, with The Daily Mail having reached out to the sheriff’s office for further comment. This case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the use of social media platforms to incite violence and the legal boundaries of free speech versus criminal threat.
