A West Virginia woman who worked as a public librarian has been arrested and charged after authorities say she used social media posts and videos to encourage or recruit someone to assassinate President Donald Trump.
What authorities say happened
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said Morgan L. Morrow, 39, of Ripley, West Virginia, was taken into custody after investigators reviewed online content they describe as soliciting violence—moving beyond political talk and into what they interpreted as a credible, actionable threat.
Local reporting citing the criminal complaint says investigators were alerted on January 25, 2026, to threats posted from a publicly accessible social media account attributed to Morrow. One post referenced the idea of finding a “sniper” to kill Trump—language deputies say they treated as a serious threat rather than hyperbole.
Investigation and arrest
According to the complaint described in local coverage, investigators and assisting officers went to Morrow’s residence, brought her in for questioning, and say she acknowledged authoring the post and that it was directed at Trump.
WDTV (a West Virginia TV station) reported that Morrow was arrested following what the sheriff’s office called an active investigation with “documented and troubling concerns,” adding the agency said its public post about the arrest was not intended as a political statement.
Charges and custody status
Authorities say Morrow was charged with one count of “terroristic threats” (often described in coverage as making or communicating a terroristic threat). She was reported held at South Central Regional Jail, with no bond set at the time of those reports.
Official reaction and public safety concerns
Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told MetroNews that investigators viewed the alleged posts as far more than venting, describing them as repeated statements across platforms encouraging violence.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported the Jackson County Public Library posted a statement distancing the organization from the alleged comments and saying the matter was being addressed internally.
What’s next
The case is now expected to move through the court process, where prosecutors will have to prove the elements of the alleged offense. As with any criminal case, the charge is an allegation, and Morrow is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Sources: 1) 18 U.S.C. § 871 — Threats against the President and successors (official text on govinfo.gov) https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2011-title18/USCODE-2011-title18-partI-chap41-sec871 (cite: turn4search0)
2) 18 U.S.C. § 871 — version on the Law Revision Counsel website (official U.S. Code, uscode.house.gov) https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?edition=prelim&num=0&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title18-section871 (cite: turn4search1)
3) DOJ Criminal Resource Manual 1528 — clarification on threats against the President (justice.gov) https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1528-threats-against-president-and-successors-presidency-against (cite: turn4search12)
4) U.S. Secret Service FAQ — How to report a threat and what the USSS investigates (secretservice.gov) https://www.secretservice.gov/about/faq/general (cite: turn4search2)
5) FBI — Threat Intimidation Guide (where to go/how to report threats) (fbi.gov) https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/threat-intimidation-guide (cite: turn4search3)
6) FBI Tips — Official portal for submitting tips (fbi.gov) https://www.fbi.gov/tips (cite: turn4search11)