Two people who threatened to kill Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) learned their fate Tuesday, with one sent to federal prison and the other placed under strict house arrest after receiving a suspended five-year sentence.
The punishments came in separate cases spanning two states as authorities confront a nationwide surge in threats against members of Congress.
Shayla Addison, 28, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Addison previously pleaded guilty to two counts of influencing a federal official by threat, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
Federal prosecutors did not publicly identify the targeted lawmaker, referring to the official as “Victim 1,” but Mace’s office confirmed she received the threats.
According to court documents, Addison began bombarding Mace’s campaign phone with threatening messages shortly before 9 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2025.
“Come outside b—- we’ll kill you,” one message read.
Minutes later, Addison allegedly escalated the threat through Mace’s campaign email account.
“We will kill you and blow that whole building up b—- come outside,” she wrote, according to prosecutors.
Addison also targeted the congresswoman on Instagram, posting messages that included, “Shut up h— I’ll kill you” and “I hope you got mace … cause you gone need it.”
Prosecutors said Addison intended to retaliate against Mace for performing her official duties.
The threats were not Addison’s first brush with the law. The Justice Department said she had previous convictions stemming from three separate intimidation and invasion-of-privacy cases.
In 2019, Addison repeatedly threatened to blow up or shoot up an Indiana Firehouse Subs where her former boyfriend worked. Months later, she called the same restaurant more than 50 times in a single day.
Police were called to her mother’s apartment in 2023 after Addison threatened to burn down the building and poured gasoline on its front steps, according to federal prosecutors. Officers reportedly found her sitting in a vehicle with an open gas can on the front seat.
“Threats of political violence regardless of where they come from, or who is targeted, are unacceptable and constitute a serious federal crime,” U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler said. “Targeting the safety of elected officials undermines their ability to freely serve the American people.”
Second Threat Triggers Sweeping Restrictions
Hours after Addison’s federal sentence was announced, a South Carolina judge sentenced Samuel Theodore Cain in a separate case involving an explicit assassination threat against Mace.
Cain, whom Mace’s office previously identified as a transgender activist who used the name “Roxie Wolfe” online, was arrested in May 2025 after posting: “I’M GOING TO ASSASSINATE REPRESENTATIVE NANCY MACE WITH A GUN AND I’M BEING 100% DEAD A—.”
While in custody, Cain allegedly told a jailhouse informant that Cain would kill Mace if given the opportunity, according to Charleston’s ABC News 4.
Cain received a five-year sentence that was suspended to 30 months of house arrest, followed by five years of probation—the maximum probationary term permitted under South Carolina law. A violation could send Cain to prison to serve the suspended sentence.
The court imposed a long list of restrictions, including continuous GPS monitoring, a permanent restraining order, a ban on possessing firearms or ammunition and a prohibition against contacting Mace, her family or her staff.
Cain must also undergo a psychiatric evaluation, observe a nightly curfew, complete 100 hours of community service and remain off social media. Internet use will be permitted only for employment.
In a victim impact statement, Mace said the threat forced her office and family to make lasting security changes.
“My staff immediately advised heightened security measures in the aftermath of Mr. Cain’s threats,” Mace said. “Law enforcement increased its presence near my home and work. Everyday schedules, safety arrangements for my children, and the day-to-day functioning of my offices continue to be disrupted to this day.”
Mace thanked the investigators and prosecutors who pursued both cases.
“Political violence has no place in America,” she wrote on X. “Not against me. Not against anyone. And those who threaten should face swift justice.”
The sentences arrive amid an alarming rise in threats against elected officials. The U.S. Capitol Police investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications in 2025 — up nearly 58% from 9,474 cases in 2024 and the third consecutive annual increase. Authorities have warned that the perceived anonymity of the internet continues to fuel the wave of threats.
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