Florida University Student Detained Over Chilling WhatsApp Bomb Threats
A 23-year-old Florida International University student is now in custody after authorities allege she posted a series of disturbing messages in a large student WhatsApp group, invoking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and making explicit bomb references that triggered widespread alarm among classmates.
Messages Spark Immediate Campus Police Response
Gabriela Saldana, a student at Florida International University, was arrested after allegedly sending multiple threatening communications to a WhatsApp group of approximately 200 students who were organizing a campus event at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. According to police documents, the messages were sent in the hours immediately preceding the scheduled gathering, creating significant concern among recipients who did not interpret the posts as humorous.
In one particularly alarming message, Saldana allegedly wrote: 'Netanyahu, if you can hear me, drop some bonbons for us Capstone students in Ocean Bank Convocation Center.' Investigators determined that the term 'bonbons' was being used as a coded reference to explosives or bombs. Another message stated: 'There is going to be a bomb in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center and it was going to be Jonathan's fault,' referencing another student participant in the chat conversation.
Court Proceedings Reveal Serious Nature of Allegations
Saldana, who has previously worked as a Microsoft intern, was apprehended near the university's main campus and subsequently appeared in bond court. During the hearing, she acknowledged sending the messages, telling authorities: 'I wrote a dumb joke that should not have been made.'
However, Judge Mindy S. Glazer ruled there was probable cause for the charges, stating unequivocally that 'to an objective person, it's not a joke' and that the comments would reasonably be perceived as threatening. The judge emphasized that while the standard for trial conviction might differ, the evidence met the threshold for probable cause in the preliminary hearing.
Prosecutors have charged Saldana with making written threats to kill or do bodily harm. Judge Glazer declined to apply an additional prejudice enhancement to the charges but set bond at $5,000. The court proceedings revealed the gravity with which authorities treated the alleged threats, particularly given their specificity regarding time, location, and potential violence.
University Confirms Credible Threat Assessment
Florida International University issued an official statement confirming the arrest and indicating that campus police treated the threat as credible and imminent. The university noted that the suspect had identified a specific date, time, and venue for the alleged planned violence, prompting immediate investigative action.
'An FIU student has been arrested for making a credible and imminent threat of violence at a planned university event,' the university statement read. 'According to the investigation, the suspect identified a specific date, time and venue. Given the ongoing investigation and federal student privacy laws, FIU has no further comment. There is no further threat to the university community.'
The incident highlights the serious consequences of making threatening communications, even when allegedly intended as humor, particularly in educational environments where safety concerns are paramount. The reference to a foreign leader added an additional layer of complexity to the investigation, though the judge declined to find probable cause for prejudice-related enhancements to the charges.
