Police: Canadian boy, 12, made Arizona State University threat

Arizona State University police said Tuesday that a shooting threat targeting the school's Tempe campus has been traced to a 12-year-old boy in Canada.

An ASU police statement said the department, along with local and federal authorities, determined the "unsubstantiated" threat had originated from an online gaming website conversation.

"The juvenile has been contacted by Canadian authorities and apologized for his actions and the disruption they caused," the statement said.

Police were not identifying the boy because he is a minor. It appears that no charges will be filed, according to the statement.

On Sunday, an anonymous poster on the website 4chan vowed to launch an attack with a rifle at about 12:30 p.m. Monday on ASU's Tempe campus, according to an earlier police account.

No incidents were reported, and the university did not cancel classes. But the post unnerved many on campus, prompting some students and instructors to stay home and posing a public-safety quandary for university officials.

Some students criticized the school's decision to keep the public updated via the university's Twitter and Facebook feeds, instead of using the student alert system, which sends texts and e-mails.

Two hours before the threatened attack time, the ASU Police Department tweeted: "We are aware of social media postings regarding a university in Arizona and are investigating. Right now, it is considered an unsubstantiated threat. ... While the threat does not appear to be credible, we encourage members of the campus community to always be observant and report any suspicious activity to ASU Police or the LiveSafe app."

As part of its statement Tuesday, ASU police reiterated that it takes the safety of students and the surrounding community.

"Had there been a substantiated threat to the ASU community, students, faculty and staff would have been given direction through the appropriate channels on what actions to take."