Overview

• Samuel T. Cain, a 19-year-old trans activist from Greenville, South Carolina, was arrested on May 15 for threatening Rep. Nancy Mace online.
• Cain allegedly wrote on social media, 'I’M GOING TO ASSASSINATE REPRESENTATIVE NANCY MACE WITH A GUN,' which he later admitted but claimed was not serious.
• A judge denied Cain's bond during a May 16 hearing, citing the seriousness of the threat; Cain remains in custody at the Greenville County Detention Center.
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute, leaving the case to South Carolina's 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, with potential penalties of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
• Rep. Mace, who has faced multiple threats since introducing anti-transgender legislation, called the threats an attack on democracy and urged stronger protections for public officials.