A University of Utah student was taken into custody Wednesday after she allegedly threatened to detonate a nuclear reactor at one of the campus’s science buildings – if the school’s soccer team didn’t win its game last week.
The 21-year-old female suspect, identified as Meredith Miller, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Wednesday for the reported offense on charges of making a terrorist threat.
The bizarre bomb threat came Saturday before the No. 13 Utes’ home game against San Diego State, where Utah was a heavy -2000 favorite.
However, Miller still seemed worried her team might not take home a win and decided to take matters into her own hands – albeit unwisely.
According to police, on the eve of the game, Miller posted “threats of violence” on Yik Yak — a community billboard app that allows users to anonymously connect with others within a 5-mile radius.
Those threats, police said, saw the student claim she would “detonate the nuclear reactor located at the University of Utah and cause mass destruction.”
A University of Utah student was taken into custody on Wednesday after allegedly threatening to detonate a nuclear reactor at one of the campus’s science buildings – if the school’s soccer team didn’t win their game against San Diego State last week ( Picture). )
Four days later, university police took the threat seriously and tracked down Miller and booked her as a potential domestic terrorist.
University professors have since said that the small experimental reactor produces only enough power to heat the thousands of gallons of water it’s kept in — and probably wouldn’t cause much concern.
What’s more, Utah would win the game decisively, beating the Aztecs 35-7 – which now makes Miller’s ill-advised insurance policy seem a bit excessive.
Nonetheless, when announcing the arrest Wednesday, police said the student was aware of the nuclear reactor and said in a statement that Miller was “aware of where the reactor is located and attended class in the same building, in where the reactor is housed”.
Miller has since claimed the post was a joke – to which the school responded in a statement on Thursday that while it’s a hoax, the school has “a zero tolerance policy for these types of threats.”
University police took the threat seriously and tracked down Meredith Miller and booked her as a potential domestic terrorist for the threat, which she posted on community chat app YikYak
School police also noted that the school’s nuclear reactor is “secured and alerted,” adding that police also “have unique protocols.” [in place] for administering a breach of facility.’
Miller, meanwhile, has been charged with a second-degree felony for her actions, which could carry a maximum sentence of 15 years and at least a year in state prison.
The reactor in question is housed in the university’s Merrill Engineering Building, where it is used for teaching and research purposes.
Although it emits nuclear energy, the device, built in 1975, has radiation levels that are carefully monitored and are low enough where it is safe to be near the reactor, professors say.
That being said, it’s not immediately clear if Miller had any knowledge of how to operate the reactor. Jail records show she was checked into the Salt Lake County Jail at 12:14 p.m. PT Wednesday. She is no longer listed among the other inmates.
Utah would win the game eminently, beating the Aztecs 35-7, with the student’s insurance policy now seeming a bit excessive
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time this year that a University of Utah student has made a bomb threat at the Salt Lake City school.
Just last month, a 19-year-old was arrested for the exact same crime after he also used the Yik Yak app to make a terror threat – saying he was detonating an explosive in the school’s Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building.
In this case, too, the student was tracked down because of his post and treated as a terrorist. He also claimed that the threat was meant “as a joke” and that he had “no intention” of carrying it out.
Police are continuing to investigate both incidents.
Miller has since claimed the post was a joke – to which the school responded in a statement on Thursday that while it’s a hoax, the school has “a zero tolerance policy for these types of threats.” She faces up to 15 years in prison for the crime