LSU student arrested over threats to governor who wanted a tiger at college football games

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — An LSU student has been arrested after prosecutors say he made an online threat to kill Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who advocated for bringing a live tiger onto the field as part of a recent college football game.

Landry, a Republican, helped revive the school’s tradition of wheeling a caged Bengal tiger into the stadium before kickoff for the first time in nearly a decade. Animal rights activists protested outside the stadium.

An arrest affidavit says Jackson Pemberton, 21, told state police investigators on Tuesday that he was joking when he posted on social media “I am going to kill you @jefflandry,” tagging the governor’s account on X, media outlets reported.

Pemberton told investigators he was “upset with the governor’s decision regarding the live tiger that was brought on the LSU football field this previous weekend,” the affidavit said.

Pemberton, of Baton Rouge, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish prison on a count of threatening a public official, media outlets reported. Jail records did not indicate whether he has an attorney or if bond had been set.

In a statement Wednesday, an LSU spokesperson said the university was aware of the student’s arrest.

“We take any behavior that threatens the safety of individuals or our community very seriously,” the statement reads. “LSU is committed to a respectful, responsible, and safe environment for all.”

The Associated Press