UA Freshman Arrested For Saying He Planned to “Blow Up” Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday

A freshman at the University of Alabama was arrested Saturday after he allegedly posted a message about blowing up Bryant-Denny Stadium on an "anonymous" social media platform popular on college campuses.

According to court documents filed Monday, an 18-year-old student posted a message on an app called Yik Yak that said "I'm gonna blow up the stadium tmw" at 4:40 in the morning last Saturday, November 13th.

Things moved quickly after that -- Yik Yak administrators reportedly forwarded the post to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's tip line, who then used database software to link the social media account to the freshman's cell phone.

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Yik Yak also reportedly provided investigators with GPS data that showed the message was generated and posted from a dorm room inside the University's Paty Hall.

Officers with the University of Alabama Police Department then made contact with the freshman, who was read his rights and agreed to speak with investigators. According to the deposition, the young man admitted to posting the comment on Yik Yak, then signed a written statement admitting guilt for the threat.

The 18-year-old student was arrested and charged with falsely reporting an incident in violation of a state law that prohibits a person from "circulating a false report or warning of an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, bomb, explosion, crime, catastrophe, or emergency."

The crime is usually treated as a misdemeanor but reporting a false bomb threat results in a Class C felony charge.

The student was booked in the Tuscaloosa County Jail, where he has since been released on a $5,000 bond.

A University of Alabama spokesperson could not say on Tuesday afternoon if the student had been expelled or faced any other internal disciplinary action after his arrest.

"We are aware of the arrest of a UA freshman over the weekend. Threats and pranks can have serious ramifications and necessitate an appropriate response," the representative said. "The University and UAPD are cooperating fully with the investigation, but we cannot provide any additional details on a pending matter. UA will follow its Student Conduct policies and procedures."

For updates on this case if and when they are released, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.