Campus Alert Archive
MSU

Anonymous Snapchat Threat Referencing 2023 Shooting Prompts Swift Arrest of MSU Student Within an Hour

MIthreat of violenceemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On February 26, 2025, an anonymous threat posted to the MSU 2028 Snapchat page referencing the February 2023 campus shooting that killed three students prompted an immediate investigation by MSU Police. An 18-year-old female student was taken into custody within 52 minutes and charged with false report of terrorism.

Alerts
2
Response
52 min
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Michigan State University
Public R1 · MI
~50,000 studentsMSU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction216 chars
MSU Alert: MSU Police are investigating an online threat directed to the MSU Community. A person of interest has been identified. There is no current threat to the MSU Community. Please be aware of your surroundings.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from CBS Detroit and The State News coverage; MSU DPPS received information about the anonymous Snapchat threat at approximately 2:00 PM EST
The threat was posted to the MSU 2028 page on Snapchat and referenced the February 13, 2023 campus shooting
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstructionMSU DPPS official news release166 chars
MSU Alert UPDATE: A person of interest in the online threat has been taken into custody in the 800 block of Chestnut. There is no current threat to the MSU Community.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from MSU DPPS official communications; the suspect was contacted at approximately 2:52 PM EST in the 800 block of Chestnut, only 52 minutes after the threat was reported
The suspect was transported to DPPS Headquarters for further investigation
Context

Background

On February 26, 2025, at approximately 2:00 PM EST, the Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety received information about a threat to the MSU community posted anonymously on Snapchat. The threat appeared on the MSU 2028 Snapchat page and referenced the February 13, 2023 campus shooting in which a gunman killed three students and wounded five others. MSU Police quickly identified a person of interest and made contact at approximately 2:52 PM in the 800 block of Chestnut, taking the suspect into custody just 52 minutes after receiving the report. The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office charged the 18-year-old female MSU student with one felony count of false report of terrorism and using a computer to commit a crime. The incident underscored the heightened sensitivity of the MSU community in the wake of the 2023 mass shooting.
Analysis

Key Findings

MSU Police identified and arrested the suspect within 52 minutes of receiving the threat report
The anonymous Snapchat post specifically referenced the February 2023 campus shooting that killed three students
The suspect was charged with felony false report of terrorism and using a computer to commit a crime
Outcome
The 18-year-old female MSU student was charged by the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office with one felony count of false report of terrorism and using a computer to commit a crime.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Suspect Charged in Online Threat Incident (MSU DPPS)
    dpps.msu.edu
  2. Official
    Suspect Arrested by MSU Police for Online Threat (MSU DPPS)
    dpps.msu.edu
  3. News
    Michigan State University student in custody after police investigate online threat (CBS Detroit)
    cbsnews.com
  4. Student Paper
    Person of interest in custody following social media threat toward MSU (The State News)
    statenews.com
  5. News
    MSU student in custody, school seeking felony charges for alleged online threat (WKAR)
    wkar.org
Tags
threat-of-violencesocial-media-threatsnapchatfalse-report-of-terrorismstudent-suspectmichiganmsu2023-shooting-referencerapid-police-responseHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion