A Louisville woman could face up to five years in prison if charged and convicted for a tweet suggesting somebody assassinate President Donald Trump, a U.S. Secret Service official said Tuesday.
The U.S. Secret Service field office in Louisville is still investigating the tweet sent by Heather Lowrey, according to special agent Richard Ferretti. It said, "If someone was cruel enough to assassinate MLK, maybe someone will be kind enough to assassinate Trump. #bekind #trump #lovetrumpshate," according to a screenshot provided to the Courier-Journal.
Lowrey's Twitter account has since been deleted, as has her Facebook page. In addition to the U.S. Secret Service investigation, Lowrey has faced consequences from at least three employers.
Ferretti said Tuesday that U.S. Secret Service agents have interviewed her and several others and conducted a background check. At the conclusion of their investigation, they will submit the results to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which will decide on potential charges.
Lowrey could have violated United States Code Title 18, Section 871, "Threats Against President and Successors to the Presidency," which prohibits knowingly and willfully mailing or otherwise making "any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States." The charge, a Class E felony, is punishable by at least one year in prison and a maximum of five years.
Without providing specific numbers, Ferretti called the investigation "routine" because of the presence of social media. He said the specific field offices handle the investigations in conjunction with the main office in Washington D.C.
He reminded the public that the U.S. Secret Service takes threats seriously.
"Think twice before they send it out," he said. "We are definitely monitoring social media."
Reporter Justin Sayers can be reached at 502-582-4252 or jsayers@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_JustinSayers.
