A Ouachita Baptist University student who allegedly made various threats to peers and faculty is banned from campus

arkadelphian.com

Following his weekend arrest, the student was released from a Central Arkansas jail Monday evening.

The student, whose name campus officials declined to release, allegedly made threats on the social media platform Snapchat to about a dozen fellow students and some faculty members. “The threats allegedly ranged from shootings and stabbings to pushing them off a cliff or hitting them on Interstate 30,” KARK 4 News reported Monday.

According the Saline County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Jacob Holt, 21, was booked early Sunday afternoon and released Monday at 5:50 p.m. Bond for Holt, who was being held on police charges of first-degree terroristic threatening, was set at $10,000. Holt, who lists an address of Deport, Texas, is named in university web articles as a band member in 2021 and 2022.

An investigation into the allegations was launched Saturday after police were made aware of writings a student had seen. The case was opened in Saline County, based on where the writings were shown to other individuals, campus officials said.

Dr. Keldon Henley, Ouachita’s vice president for institutional advancement, said the university was informed that the student had bonded out.

Now, campus police are being vigilant about safety. The Ouachita community was on guard Tuesday in light of the news. “I think those in the campus community have been appropriately concerned and understandably wary,” Henley said. “We’re continuing on with campus life as normal.”

Aside from campus and Benton police, local law enforcement agencies were not made aware of the threats. “Ouachita has its own campus police,” Henley said, “and they work with external law enforcement, as well, as needed.”

Asked what security measures the university is taking to protect its students and faculty, Henley said, “Our campus safety and emergency management team always works diligently to provide for a safe environment for our campus community. They will continue to monitor and assess as appropriate.”