Authorities make arrest after social media threat against UNF

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hours after the University of North Florida announced Tuesday morning that a social media threat had been made against the university, the UNF Police Department sent an update saying a suspect had been identified and arrested.

The initial alert warned students to expect an increased police presence on campus after the UNF Police Department was made aware of a threat posted to social media.

The update said a joint effort between UPD, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the FBI had identified a suspect who was arrested.

The announcement came hours after Edward Waters University in Jacksonville told students it was essentially locking down all campus activities for the day in the wake of a threat of violence made against its campus. EWU is now among more than a half-dozen historically Black universities in five states and the District of Columbia that received bomb threats, with many of them locking down their campuses for a time on Monday.

UNF said through the investigative process, it was determined the threat to the UNF community was false and the incident was not related to the threats made against other universities.