Kent State arrests student for threatening tweet

KENT, Ohio—A student at Kent State University was arrested on Sunday after posting a threatening message on Twitter that he would be "shooting up" the campus.

A university official was monitoring Twitter for mentions of the school when a July 25 tweet from William Koberna, a 19-year-old sophomore at the school, was discovered, according to the Associated Press. The tweet included profanity and identified the university's president, Lester Lefton, by name. Koberna said he would be "shooting up" the school, signing off with "ASAP," the AP reported.

Kent State University Police arrested Koberna on Sunday and charged him with inducing panic (a felony of the fifth degree) and aggravated menacing (a misdemeanor of the first degree), according to a statement from the university. He was released on Monday after posting bail under the condition that he wear a GPS tracking device and stay away from the school and its president, the AP reported.

“Any threat to our campus community is taken seriously and immediately investigated,” Lefton, the university's president, said in a statement. “Our students, employees, and all those who come to campus should know that their safety is our top priority."