A 21-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in Durango on suspicion of using social media to post a threat of gun violence at Fort Lewis College.
The suspect was identified as Bailey Hannan, a resident of Golden and a student at Colorado School of Mines. He faces one count of interference with staff, faculty or students of an educational institution, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
FLC President Tom Stritikus called it a “difficult and unsettling experience” in a letter to students.
“Many, many thanks to FLC Police and Durango Police for their brilliant collaboration that helped expose this threat and bring two people into custody,” he wrote.
The series of events began early Wednesday when FLC police learned of the threat in a social media post. Law enforcement deemed the threat viable and immediately closed the campus, according to a statement issued by Lauren Pope, spokeswoman for the college.
Law enforcement investigated the source of the threat and determined it was posted from a phone located inside Durango city limits. At that time, the college went into lockdown, “an extreme but necessary tool in helping law enforcement assess and mitigate the situation,” Pope said.
FLC police, the Durango Police Department and the FBI located the suspect and made an arrest. The arrest occurred shortly before noon at the Everyday gas station near College Drive and East Eighth Avenue.
No weapons were found on Hannan or inside his vehicle, a Subaru Impreza.
“This individual said in interviews with law enforcement that the social media post was a joke, but we take these matters very seriously,” said FLC Police Chief Brett Deming, in a prepared statement.
FLC police is handling the case, but the agency has deferred all media inquiries to the college’s media relations department.
Hannan and an FLC student were taken into custody, but the FLC student was released without charges.
The college has not released specifics about the threat, including what social media platform was used to make the threat or what specifically the threat said. In declining to provide more information, Pope said Thursday the investigation remains active with nine law enforcement agencies across the United States having been involved, and reports were still being finalized.
The college said a headshot of the suspect is not available. Pope said Hannan was not in custody as of Thursday evening.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Hannan is a mechanical engineering student at the School of Mines and a Door Dash delivery driver. His Facebook page indicates he previously lived in Toledo, Ohio.
Pope said the college was made aware of the threat Wednesday morning, but she did not provide a time. She said after determining the viability of the threat, the campus was closed at 6:05 a.m. Based on “Skyhawk alert” text messages sent to students, the campus was in lockdown from 11:23 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. The college was notified of the suspect’s arrest at 12:04 p.m.
The timeline of events also played out on the college’s Facebook page, with a post at 6:15 a.m. announcing a threat had been made and telling students not to come to campus. “Academic buildings are locked and classes are canceled,” the post reads.
According to a subsequent Facebook post, the threat was made against Fort Lewis College. Students who live off campus were told not to report to the school, and students who live on campus were asked to stay in their buildings.
“Residents should be vigilant, be aware of surroundings, and not let people that they do not know into the building,” a post at 9:46 a.m. reads. “If they see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.”
One message sought to clarify no violence had occurred on campus.
“There’s no present (active) danger to students – this closure was made out of an abundance of caution and will take time investigate,” a college official posted at 9:58 a.m. “Students are safe, no violence has happened on campus. Police presence will be amplified today and for the remainder of the semester.”
It was finals week at the college. Classes and final exams that were postponed will be rescheduled, according to the college. Deadlines will also be extended for assignments that were due Wednesday.
Essential staff members, including police, dining services and grounds workers for snow removal, were the only staff reporting to campus. Staff members and faculty could work remotely if possible, but they were not meeting with students.
The college closed the library, Student Life Center, Campbell Center and all academic buildings. The Student Union remained open with extra police presence, allowing access to food for on-campus residents.
shane@durangoherald.com
