ASSISTANT Police Chief Simon Manacop said the Department of Public Safety is conducting routine checks at Northern Marianas College while detectives prioritize the investigation of an online threat made to NMC.
Variety received a screenshot of an Instagram story post by the account @kirowantsrevenge_, which read, “NMC just wait” followed by a gun emoji.
Manacop said this is the post that launched the investigation. No arrests had been made as of Thursday.
He said it is possible for an individual to be charged with terroristic threatening for posting such online messages.
NMC responded on Wednesday via its own Instagram account to say that it was working with DPS in regards to a “threat posted to a social media account.”
“The College takes all threats seriously and is taking the appropriate steps necessary to ensure the safety of students and employees. To this end, the College’s emergency response team has been activated and is working closely with authorities to effectively respond to the situation,” NMC stated.
In a later post on Wednesday at 11 p.m., NMC said after a “thorough assessment” and in consultation with DPS, the Saipan, Tinian, and Rota campuses would be open on Thursday.
“We encourage all students and employees to remain vigilant and to always report suspicious activity to NMC faculty and staff,” NMC stated.
On Thursday, the account @kirowantsrevenge_ posted on Instagram this message: “came back to my senses.”
Assistant Police Chief Simon Manacop said this is the post that DPS is investigating.
The account @kirowantsrevenge_ posted this on April 3.
