Man arrested after threat against UW posted to Craigslist
Nov 3, 2014, 5:43 PM | Updated: Nov 4, 2014, 10:52 am
The University of Washington Police Department has sent a warning and stepped up security after an anonymous person posted a threat to shoot students on Craigslist.
University of Washington police say detectives arrested a man Monday night suspected of making online threats to students over the weekend.
Police say he was found in the Social Work building but is not a student or staff member.
The threat prompted the UW Police Department to send a campus-wide warning and step up security.
The angry post complained of the behavior of what the anonymous person perceives as UW students acting out and harassing others in a library. It didn’t specify which one.
UW police investigated and increased security, Chief John Vinson said in an email sent out the entire community.
The anonymous poster threatened to shoot the students if their behavior doesn’t change. “You have been warned,” it concludes.
UW police confirmed the post was the reason for the warning, but would not comment further.
Here is the message sent to the UW community:
This message is being sent to all faculty, staff and students with the approval of the UW Police Department.
Dear Members of the University of Washington Community:
The University of Washington Police Department (UWPD) has been made aware of a non-specific threat to public safety at the University posted to a social media web site. The threat is under investigation and security has been increased. UWPD is recommending that individuals be on the watch for anything unusual or out of the ordinary. If you do observe anyone exhibiting unusual behavior, please contact UWPD immediately by dialing 911. The safety of UW students, faculty, and staff, as always, is our highest priority.
John Vinson
Chief
UWPD
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
