UGA police arrest student for threat that evacuated MLC

ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia police are crediting students' quick response in stopping a possible threat on the UGA campus Friday.

Channel 2 Action News broke the story Friday afternoon. Investigators said several students reported a threat made on social media just after 11:30 a.m. that referenced the Miller Learning Center on campus. Police would not get into specifics of what the threat said, but did say that it included a firearm.

"We would like to applaud these individuals for immediately contacting law enforcement so that a quick response could be coordinated for the benefit of everyone in the area," said Police Chief Jimmy Williamson.

Friday evening, UGA police arrested a 19-year-old student in connection with the threat. They say UGA student Ariel Omar Arias was responsible for disseminating the threat.

Police say Arias admitted to posting the threat and indicated "that the incident was the result of an immature prank and that he had no motive to follow through with any acts of violence."

UGA students told Channel 2’s Tony Thomas there was chaos on campus when the threat was first received.

“It's completely disheveled all of campus because this is basically the heartbeat of where everything is. It's caused people to not be able to do homework, exams and class. It's caused a lot of mayhem here,” student Ryan Bishop said.

Police responded to the building and sent out a campus-wide alert at 12:05 p.m. telling students to stay away from the building. The student center was also evacuated as a precaution.

Investigators said they searched the building and found nothing. The police gave the all-clear shortly after 1 p.m.

Officers said they are looking into several leads and that the social media site that the threat was posted on is working with police.

By late afternoon, classes resumed as police continued to try to track down who may have been responsible.

Anyone that has information about the threat is asked to call the University of Georgia Police Department at 706-542-2200.

WSBTV