A University of Kentucky sophomore from Glasgow has been arrested after reporting false threats against the UK campus.
UK President Eli Capilouto said in a press release Wednesday night that “the UK Police Department received information from a social media post that contained an unsubstantiated threat involving the White Hall Classroom Building.”
The UK PD and Fayette County law enforcement worked with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in tracking down the origin of the threat. That investigation led authorities to 19-year-old Haily L. Duvall, who admitted to police that she made-up the threats. The threats suggested an attack at the White Hall Classroom Building was imminent.
Duvall postured as a student informing police of the threat, and also gave interviews to the campus newspaper, The Kernel, and a Lexington television station.
According to The Kernel, Duvall first sent a message via GroupMe, a social media platform with over 3,000 followers, most, if not all UK students. The original message, posted at 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon said, “There are threats going around campus. So please be cautious of what you are doing and where. I can’t really get into details but just be on guard.”
She posted several more messages to GroupMe, with one saying that police searched White Hall Classroom Building, and warning GroupMe followers to “be cautious the next two days on campus.”
Duvall was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with terroristic threatening and filing a false police report. Additional charges are possible.
She was lodged in the Fayette Detention Center. The investigation is ongoing.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
