October 21, 2014
Update: Police continue to investigate anonymous social media threat
Penn State Police were alerted to an anonymous string of threats posted at about 9:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, 2014, on social media platform Yik Yak indicating the poster would perpetrate some type of violent crime at the Penn State Berks campus. Interviews have been conducted and the investigation continues. The first post, indicating a non-specific Halloween incident might occur, has been determined to not be of a threatening nature after interviewing the subject that posted the comment.
The second comment is still the focus of a Police Investigation in which Penn State Berks Police are continuing to verify the credibility of the threat on this location-based site and are working closely with Yik Yak officials. The poster mentioned the Luerssen Building on campus as the site of a potential bomb.
Since last evening, Berks campus police have been monitoring the social media site and moving the investigation forward. Berks Police Chief Kevin Rudy said the University takes all threats -- even anonymous and non-specific -- seriously and is asking anyone with information about these postings or their author(s) to call police at 610-396-6111.
On Oct. 12, an anonymous shooting threat related to the HUB on Penn State?s University Park campus was posted to Yik Yak. Police worked with Yik Yak officials to identify and arrest the suspect.
In addition, another threat posted to Yik Yak and related to the Brandywine campus also appeared on the social media site last week. Police are vigorously following leads on that incident and working with Yik Yak officials to also identify a suspect in the case.
?If these are pranks, they are certainly not appropriate and will result in individual(s) facing the appropriate criminal charges,? Chief Rudy said. ?We plan to pursue this threat and find the individual(s) responsible. The safety and security of our campus community is always our top priority.?