BATON ROUGE, La. — An LSU student has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry online after he advocated bringing a live tiger onto the field as part of a recent college football game, prosecutors said. Announced.
Landry, a Republican, helped revive the school’s tradition of bringing a caged Bengal tiger into the stadium before kickoff for the first time in nearly a decade. Animal rights activists staged a protest outside the stadium.
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Jackson Pemberton, 21, told state police investigators on Tuesday that he posted on social media “I’m going to kill Jeff Landry,” tagging the governor’s account with X, according to an arrest affidavit. Various media reported that he said that it was a joke.
Pemberton told investigators he was “angry about the governor’s decision regarding the live tiger that was brought onto the LSU football field this past weekend,” according to the affidavit.
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Pemberton, a Baton Rouge resident, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail on a charge of threatening a public servant, media reported. Jail records do not indicate whether he has an attorney or whether bond has been set.
An LSU spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that the university is aware of the student’s arrest.
“We take any act that threatens the safety of individuals or the community very seriously,” the statement said. “LSU is committed to a respectful, responsible, and safe environment for all.”
