Laramie man charged after alleged social media threat to Gov. Gordon

A Laramie man is facing a serious Albany County Circuit Court charge after investigators said a Facebook post crossed from online venting into a threat of violence against Gov. Mark Gordon. Prosecutors allege Dawson Brooks Cooley, 27, wrote, “I actually might assassinate you if you don’t meet with me,” language they say made the case a public-official threat rather than ordinary online harassment.

The charge was filed Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Albany County Circuit Court in Laramie, part of Wyoming’s 2nd Judicial District. Cooley, identified as a Laramie resident, was accused of making threatening statements on Facebook that investigators interpreted as a threat of serious bodily injury or death against the governor.

Wyoming law separately criminalizes communicating a threat of bodily injury or death, and that statute gives local prosecutors a direct path to treat alleged threats as criminal conduct when the words point to violence. In this case, investigators said the posts were specific enough, and directed enough, to justify a formal charge involving the state’s top elected official.

The allegation carries weight in Albany County because it shows how quickly a social media post can become evidence in a courtroom when it names a public official and suggests a demand backed by violence. The report did not describe any physical confrontation or broader plot, but it did indicate law enforcement viewed the statements as credible enough to move forward with a charge in circuit court.

The case also comes as Gordon remains one of the most visible figures in Wyoming politics. He has served as governor since January 2019, and his public profile has included recent friction with other state officials, including a January 2026 clash with Secretary of State Chuck Gray during a State Board of Land Commissioners meeting. That broader visibility helps explain why a threat aimed at Gordon resonates far beyond Cheyenne.

For Albany County residents, the immediate question now is how the circuit-court process handles the case from here. Bond, arraignment and later hearings will determine whether the allegation advances, but the message from investigators is already clear: posts that reference violence against a named elected official can trigger criminal charges in local court, not just online backlash.