U of U student arrested after making nuclear threat at Utes football game

SALT LAKE CITY — A 21-year-old University of Utah student was arrested after police said she threatened to detonate a nuclear reactor if the U of U football team didn’t win its game.

Police arrested the U of U student and booked her into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of making a terroristic threat. 

Police said prior to the Utes’ home game with San Diego State on Sept. 18, the woman used the app Yik Yak to post threats of violence.

According to police, the woman posted that if Utah didn’t win its football game she was going “detonate the nuclear reactor that is located in the University of Utah causing a mass destruction,” according to a police booking affidavit.

There was cause for concern according to police. The student has knowledge of where the nuclear reactor is stored on campus. Authorities said the suspect attends class in the same building.

In a statement Thursday morning, University of Utah Police Chief Jason Hinojosa said the school has a zero-tolerance policy for threats of this kind. The nuclear reactor is armed and secured and has special security protocols, Hinojosa added. 

Only a few weeks ago, police arrested another student for a bomb threat. At that time, the threat was directed at the Spencer Fox Eccles business building on campus. 

The Utes won Saturday’s game with a score of 35-7.

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