University of Utah student arrested in campus bomb threat

A University of Utah student was arrested Friday for making a bomb threat on campus, police say.

A University of Utah student was arrested Friday for making a bomb threat on campus, police say. (Shafkat Anowar, Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — A University of Utah student was arrested Friday and accused of making a bomb threat directed at the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building.

The 19-year-old was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of making a terroristic threat and having a fake ID.

The student used the Yik Yak app to make a bomb threat "in a public forum or chat room," according to a police booking affidavit.

"The threat was seen by other students and reported to the University Police Department. Officers locked down the Eccles business building and evacuated employees," the affidavit states.

The threats were reported to police just after 1 a.m. Friday. A bomb-sniffing dog was brought into the building but no explosive devices were found, according to police.

Detectives then traced the phone number and name registered on the Yik Yak account, which led them to a student living on campus. When questioned, the man "admitted to making the threats as a joke and said he had no intent to carry out the threat" and additionally "had no ability to make a bomb," the affidavit says.

The student was arrested just before 4:30 a.m. While being taken into custody, police said they also discovered that he had a fake Hawaii driver's license.

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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