Winona State University President, Dr. Scott Olson, Victim of Death Threat, Student Responsible for Making Threat

Winona State University President Dr. Scott Olson. Photo: Winona State University

(KWNO)- Winona State University President, Dr. Scott Olson, received a death threat via a social media app yesterday at 5:02 p.m.

The Winona Police Department say that a student at WSU living in the dorms posted a threat that read:

“I’m going to end President Olson (this is a death threat, run).”

The threat was posted to a social media app called ‘Yik Yak’. An app that is intended for college students to connect on campus. Users of the app can post limited character updates to their account with anonymity.

According to WPD, the student who made threat claimed that it was just a joke and didn’t think anything was going to happen by posting the message. The student told police that everyone was slandering President Olson because he didn’t cancel classes due to weather.

Winona Police say that Yik Yak sent the threat to the National Threat Operation Center, who then told the FBI in Minneapolis, who notified the Minnesota BCA, who notified the Winona Police. The WPD then went to campus to speak with the individual that posted the threat.

The threat was posted at 5:02 p.m. with the Winona Police Department being notified by 8:00 p.m.

The WPD says that the incident is still under investigation and that criminal charges are still possible for the student, however, the student was not arrested.