College Student Posts Something That Sort Of Sounds Like A Threat; Law Enforcement, Mild Panic Ensue

from the but-ends-well,-even-though-the-beginning-and-middle-are-a-mess dept

If anything, the anonymous student should have been investigated for the egregious use of outdated slang.

There’s no danger at Snow College after an anonymous former student threatened the school on Facebook, state officials said.

No danger, because there was no threat. So, the past tense usage by "state officials" is completely wrong.

Police believe the out-of-state male author of the post did not plan to hurt anyone, said Derek Walk, a campus police officer.

Here's what was posted:

Let's just say, homecoming weekend is gonna go out with a bang. And the football game is gonna be one no one is ever gonna forget.

If you're like me, you're probably picturing lots of heavily drinking, possibly culminating in some gametime streaking.

If you're like a lot of the commenters in this screenshot, you're apparently picturing a DHS-suspicion-raising shopping trip for pressure cookers and other fine explodables, followed by the opening scene of "The Last Boy Scout."


Ultimately, no one was charged and locked up with insurmountable bail. Officers did serve a warrant to Google, which coughed up the IP address and ultimately tracked down the suspect. (Yes, I was also confused by this turn of events, but apparently one of the few roads to Facebook anonymity leads directly through Google Docs.) The only thing noticeably different was a larger police presence during that week, which went as routinely un-bombed as the countless weeks preceding it. No charges have been filed, nor does it appear there will be.

Attorney General Sean Reyes praised the work of local officers.

"We are pleased to have been part of this successful outcome," Reyes said in a prepared statement.

Snow College President Gary Carlston added he’s happy no one was harmed over the weekend and is grateful for the officers’ quick response.

Presumably, the student was fully cleared of any potential wrongdoing and mocked gently for his use of the phrase "going out with a bang" by an officer drawing the shape of square with his opposing index fingers.

As usual, the thought process is: you can never be too careful. And while I appreciate the fact no one wants to be the one who ignores a potential threat because it doesn't sound scary enough, there's something to be said for not allowing a perpetual fear of rare, highly-isolated incidents to govern your official responses, much less your Facebook interactions. I personally think the anonymity aspect of the posting made it seem more threatening than one made by someone easily identifiable by other students -- something that would have allowed the use of context to frame the "confession." (And while we're on the subject, these same students don't seem too moved to report anonymous comments containing an actual specific threat, admissions of criminal behavior or use of slang even more outdated than "out with a bang.")

I am, however, pleased that this incident didn't turn out like others have -- with someone arrested and/or facing excessive bail -- simply because panic has become the default mode in all school settings.

Filed Under: investigations, out with a bang, police, threats
Companies: snow college