Fresno State player arrested, accused of mass campus shooting threat
A Fresno State football player has been arrested in connection with an anonymous online post that threatened a mass shooting on campus.
Walk-on freshman wide receiver Christian Malik Pryor was taken into custody Monday by Fresno State Police after saying he planned to "release my frustrations," according to the The Fresno Bee's Jim Guy.
The school announced around 2 p.m. local time that a suspect had been arrested, and had been acting alone. Pryor wasn't named at the time.
He was charged with making a criminal threat, and bail was set at $20,000. No court date has been scheduled. Head coach Tim DeRuyter confirmed the news, but couldn't report any details.
"Chris Pryor is a walk-on freshman for us this year," DeRuyter said after Monday’s practice. "I don't know the results of what his conversation was with the police, and subsequent to that we've had a press conference here on campus while we were out here at practice. I don't know any more details than that, since I've been out here."
In part, the message posted on instant messaging app Yik Yak read:
the time is here. @3PM I will release my frustrations. Tired of dirty looks, get rejected, nd being talked about bc how I dress. My choice of weapon M4 Carbine...
Fresno State Police Chief David Huerta said investigators got the IP address of the student who sent the threat. With additional information, they were able to link it to Pryor, track him down, and get a confession.
At the news conference, Huerta and Fresno State Provost Lynnette Zelezny said they considered locking down the campus, but decided against it in order to avoid a state of panic.
Pryor, a team MVP at Locke High School in Los Angeles, hasn't appeared in a game this season.