University of Utah Student Arrested for Making Nuclear Bomb Threat Over NCAA Football Game

A University of Utah student is in deep trouble after making terrorist threats. According to authorities, the female student who threatened to detonate a bomb made of a nuclear reactor was arrested and charged Wednesday, NPR reported.

According to reports, the 21-year-old student made the threats before Utah's NCAA Football match against San Diego State University on Saturday. The student reportedly said she "was going to detonate the nuclear reactor that is located in the University of Utah causing a mass destruction."

The threats were allegedly published on the social media platform YikYak, which allows users to post anonymously. The post said the student would do it once the school's football team failed to win the game. YikYak reportedly rose to prominence on college campuses a decade ago.

Why Did the University of Utah Student Make the Threat?

The charging document said the student had knowledge of the university's nuclear reactor as she studied engineering. According to U.S. News, the University of Utah is one of the universities in the U.S. with nuclear engineering programs that uses a nuclear reactor for research.

In a statement on Thursday, the university said the reactor was secured, and the university law enforcement had protocols to make sure that no breaches were made. The unnamed student admitted that she posted the threat but said it was a joke.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy for these kinds of threats," said University of Utah Police Chief Jason Hinojosa.

The Consequences Of Making Fake Terrorist Threats in Utah

Terrorist threats are penalized under Utah Code 76-5-107.3. It is a part of the state's criminal code that deals with assault-related offenses. According to this Utah Code, a person can be charged with threat of terrorism by "threatening the use of a hoax weapon of mass destruction."

One of Utah's definitions for a weapon of mass destruction is an item that's "designed or intended to cause widespread death or serious bodily injury to multiple victims," like a bomb, Utah Criminal Law said.

Threatening to use terrorism is sometimes a minor crime. For instance, creating a terrorist threat is a misdemeanor if the goal is to "cause an official or volunteer agency [that is] organized to deal with emergencies," like the local fire department, "to take action" in response to the threat.

But there are also times when making terrorist threats is a crime. For example, if you make a bomb scare, even if it's not real, you could be charged with a second-degree felony. A misdemeanor can lead to fines, jail time, and a criminal record.

But felony charges are even more of a worry, not only because the repercussions are worse but also because they affect more important parts of personal and professional life, such as loan applications, job searches, gun rights, and other things.

Meanwhile, court records did not state whether there was an attorney representing the student. Nevertheless, Utah won against San Diego State in Saturday's game, 35-7.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: University of Utah Student Threatens to Detonate Nuclear Reactor - From NBC News