A threat made through the Yik Yak social media application caught the attention of West Virginia University Police and ended in criminal charges.
According to a criminal complaint, on March 8 at approximately 12:28 a.m., Madelyn Antonia Constantine, 20, posted via Yik Yak, “I’m shooting up phi psi [tomorrow] at 12:00 p.m. Rip to all of them.”
University officials confirmed Constantine is currently enrolled as a student at WVU.
The Yik Yak application allows users to anonymously post and comment on local boards within a five-mile radius of their location, making it popular on college campuses, but difficult to identify users.
When registering for the app, you are not required to provide your name, but you must provide a phone number for verification in order to see and post content.
Police reported they were able to identify Constantine by the phone number she had added to Yik Yak. She later admitted to posting the threat against the fraternity.
The investigation into the credibility of the threat is ongoing and WVU Executive Director of Communications April Kaull said the university is taking it seriously.
“We take every potential threat to the safety of our campus community seriously,” Kaull said, “and we respond accordingly regardless of the specific circumstances.”
Constantine is charged with threatening to commit a terroristic act, with or without the intent to commit the act.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released after posting a $25,000 bond.
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