Leandra Lepp
News and Features Writer
Tuesday, September 26, at 2:26 p.m., students received an alarming email: OBU security was on extra alert because of threatening comments posted to Yik Yak, an anonymous social platform.
Rather than disregarding the threat as a joke, many students did not waste time reporting the incident—an act the OBU police department say they appreciate.
In fact, they have expressed gratitude to those who took action and encourage people to continue reporting incidents to provide maximum safety for the community.
After receiving those reports, campus police swiftly responded to the matter.
“OBU police department moves very quickly, and we appreciate everyone who took the issue very seriously so we can keep the students safe,” University Police chief David Shannon said.
In fact, a former student has been arrested for the crime, but no further details are available at this time as the investigation is ongoing.
Shannon did say this was the first threat made toward OBU through Yik Yak, though the PD has worked with app before.
There were no indications of any additional suspects, and the case is currently being reviewed by the district attorney’s office,
So what lead up to a social media threat and subsequent arrest?
Initially, the suspect commented on a post regarding a recent shooting at the OKC fairgrounds (see below), threatening violence on school grounds.
Another commenter asked “what is your plan?” To which the suspect responded: “Starting with west U at 3 pm on October 29,” the suspect said.
While many observers wondered if the post was a terrible prank or a genuine threat, several app users got involved.
Lydia Storm, a senior art major, was one of many to report the threat.
“It is hard to tell if people are joking when a comment like this one is made,” Storm said.
Luckily, many people in the thread screenshot the post for “evidence” and immediately reported the image.
“The threat made people anxious for a while because they did not know if the ‘shooter’ would go through with [it],” Storm said.
In fact, some students chose not to attend chapel that Wednesday, fearing the original “timeline” might change and avoided crowded places.
However, OBU police acted swiftly and immediately communicated with the campus.
In a campus-wide email sent September 26, UPD wrote “OBU is coordinating with law enforcement from the Shawnee Police Department to advance police presence on campus, increase patrols, and enhance security.”
UPD then notified other county agencies to arrange for extra campus patrolling.
Our officers and RA staff also worked together to complete additional dorm checks.
Finally, they insured each building on campus was secure, and worked “with all hands-on deck,” according to Shannon.
Because of that, they identified the suspect within 30 minutes to an hour, got a warrant shortly after and was able to arrest the individual late Tuesday night in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
On Wednesday, September 27, students received a second email informing them the suspect had been arrested.
“OBU has great security,” Storm said.
“I think that the police department did a great job of communicating with students.”
The collaboration between the OBU community, the police department, and other law enforcement agencies showcases the commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all the university’s associates.
“We take the safety of OBU seriously,” Shannon said.
“People may say they are joking but we take it seriously.”
Storm encourages students to stay vigilant and continue to report suspicious activity.
“Even if you think it is a joke, people’s lives are at risk it does not matter if it is a joke. No one will be upset if you report,” Storm said.
“It is easy to think OBU is so safe because it is a Christian school, but this incident is a reminder to be aware and not to think we are exempt from these issues,” she said.
“Those tragic situations are outside of our control and all we can do is ask the Lord for peace and to handle the situation according to his will,” Storm said.
