Federal prosecutors have charged Megan Lorraine Utz of Florence, Alabama, after investigators say a Facebook account linked to her threatened to shoot President Donald Trump ahead of his planned attendance at the Alabama-Georgia football game. According to court records, a “Kase Utz” account posted that it would “put a bullet through him,” a comment tied to Utz through a matching profile photo, a distinctive neck tattoo, her birthdate and location records. FBI and Secret Service agents arrested her October 6th at a Salvation Army in Florence after a brief foot chase.
Utz, who was initially held on a local warrant for harassing messages, agreed to speak with investigators. She blamed malware for the post and asked, quote, “How am I going to shoot him?” Her phone has been sent to an FBI forensics lab, and she is scheduled for arraignment in Birmingham on November 4th. The charge carries serious federal penalties if she’s convicted.
The case lands squarely in the middle of one of college football’s biggest rivalry weekends, raising questions about security at high-profile sporting events, how social media threats are investigated, and where free speech ends. Here on the Suncoast, where big games, spring training crowds and events at Ed Smith Stadium are part of the seasonal rhythm, it’s a reminder that security planning and online conduct go hand in hand.
What’s your rule for what you’ll post online? Tell us in the comments.
