A 20-year-old Hamilton College student is facing criminal charges following a threat to commit a shooting on the college’s Clinton campus, which led to a campus-wide lockdown and shelter-in-place order on Sunday night. The student, Peter Howard III from Louisville, Kentucky was arrested after a search conducted by authorities, including New York State Police and the FBI.
Howard was arraigned on a single charge of threatening mass harm, a class B misdemeanor, and released on his recognizance until his next court appearance scheduled for May 2. The threat was made through a social media app called Jodel, popular among students on campus.
Police were alerted to the threat by a tip, which initiated the search involving several law enforcement agencies. No weapons were discovered during the search, but the specificity of the threat led authorities to treat the situation seriously.
Hamilton College has suspended Howard pending an internal disciplinary process. The college is also offering extended counseling support to students and staff in the aftermath of the incident.
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