DeKALB – A post on the social media platform Snapchat alleging an active-shooter attack would occur Monday on Northern Illinois University campus was a cause for concern over the weekend.
NIU police said the threat of violence on the campus that made the rounds on social media Sunday later was determined to be unfounded.
A community alert sent just after midnight Monday said NIU police investigated social media reports of a threat of violence against the campus planned for Monday. The Northern Star reported the social media post included an active-shooter threat and was circulating on Snapchat.
After investigating and making contact with the student involved, police determined the threat was not credible, the alert showed.
NIU police were made aware that a student was displaying “concerning behavior on social media” and that they might harm themselves or others, according to a campus-wide message sent by Kelly Wesener-Michael, associate vice president for student affairs.
Wesener-Michael said that if there was a threat present, the campus would have been notified immediately and given instructions on safety measures in that instance.
“Understandably, we live in a time when violence on school campuses is a reality,” her statement reads. “We also know that social media posts can be interpreted in a variety of ways, have unintended impact and can fuel rumors and accusations.”
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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