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Charges will be sought against student arrested following Yik Yak threats

November 24, 2014

UPDATE 4:20 p.m.: MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said the suspect, an MSU student, was arrested in Akers Hall on Monday afternoon.

In a statement, McGlothian-Taylor said "the Michigan State University Police Department will be seeking criminal charges through the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office for making a terrorist threat."


MSU police have one person in custody after a non-specific threat was made through social media app Yik Yak, MSU spokesman Jason Cody said. 

MSU police have concluded the investigation and charges are now being sought, according to an MSU Alert email sent on Monday. 

"MSU police received information about a threat made in Yik Yak," Cody said. "Our police were able to quickly trace the IP address and arrest the individual."

According to the MSU Alert , the MSU Police Department Computer Forensic's Unit contacted Yik Yak for more details, and the information was shared with the MSU Chief Information Security Officer. 

Cody said the individual was arrested on campus, and information about the individual ties with MSU or East Lansing Public Schools are still unknown. 

Yik Yak is an application where users can make anonymous posts. Participation in the app is limited within a 1.5 mile radius.

The suspect could be arraigned today, Cody said. 

According to a press release sent by the East Lansing Police Department, a individual suspected of "making a threat" to East Lansing Public Schools was taken into custody at approximately 12:25 p.m. 

East Lansing Police Department Lt. Steve Gonzalez said his department got involved in the incident because the threat didn't specify whether it was toward East Lansing Public Schools or MSU.

"(MSU Police) notified us that there was a threat for the school because the threat they initially received was so general," Gonzalez said. "It didn't say if it was a threat to the university or the school district." 

The "secure in place" went in effect at approximately 11:45 a.m.

Stay tuned for updates. 

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