Police connect 18-year-old to anonymous threat on Yik Yak
University Police (UP) has identified the person responsible for a threat made on Yik Yak on Sunday evening.
According to an email to university officials Tuesday afternoon, UP investigators spoke to an 18-year-old who lives near USF but is not a student at the university.
“During conversations with the officers, the 18-year-old admitted he was engaged in making political statements on the social media site,” the update stated. “In the exchange, he provided a sarcastic response when he was accused by another user of planning a shooting. “
The previously anonymous threat was made on the social media app and later removed before police were notified of the threatening post.
In an earlier interview with The Oracle, UP Assistant Chief Daniel said the threat was non-specific, that UP took the threat very seriously and he was concerned USF could be at risk due to the way Yik Yak posts are generated.
The email also stated detectives determined he was not making a serious threat and did not have a violent act planned, and no charges will be brought against him.
Though UP has not confirmed what the threat specifically was, an image circulating Yik Yak around USF on Monday showed a comment on a post stating “I bet op is planning the next homophobic/racist shooting too.” In response, the original poster (identified by Yik Yak’s “OP” image) commented, “I am actually.”
The UP update finished by reiterating an earlier statement that “any threat of violence made on these sites is subject to all state and federal laws. Threats made against the University of South Florida will be taken seriously, investigated by the USFPD and prosecuted if warranted.”
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