AMES, Iowa — Two Iowa State University freshmen have been arrested in connection with posts on the social media platform Yik Yak, according to the university's Department of Public Safety.
Two anonymous posts were reported to the ISU Police Department Monday. The first was a warning to “not come to Carver [Hall] tomorrow at 4:30pm.” A few hours later, the second post was reported, which warned users to avoid Parks Library.
ISU police and the Story County Attorney determined there was probable cause to arrest Abdullateef Malallah, 18, and Ty Jerman, 19. Both are charged with Threat of Terrorism, which state law defines as causing "a reasonable expectation or fear of the imminent commission of such an act of terrorism."
The Yik Yak threats met this criteria "based on the fact that the posts contained a specific location, referenced a time and used the same language associated with other prior acts of violence," the university said in a press release.
The university said ISU police, the FBI and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation identified and monitored Malallah and Jerman overnight Monday.
"Based on information gathered during the initial hours of the investigation, police determined it was not necessary to close the university and worked with building administrators to implement safety measures as a precaution," the release states.
Both suspects are custody in the Story County Jail.
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