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The FBI has announced the arrest of a 23-year-old who allegedly made an interstate online threat targeting the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Getting into it: Jackson Fleming, a former midshipman from Chesterton, Indiana, was taken into custody on September 12 and is accused of transmitting a threat through a social media platform that led to a full-scale security lockdown at the Naval Academy on September 11. According to federal investigators, Fleming used an IP masking technique to make it appear as though the threat originated from inside the academy campus. The FBI stated that his online message triggered an emergency response involving Naval Security Forces and local law enforcement. The situation escalated rapidly, as rumors circulated on social media suggesting an active shooter on campus who was potentially disguised as a police officer.

As a result, the Naval Academy was placed on lockdown just before 5:30 pm, and officers began conducting a room-by-room search of Bancroft Hall, the main dormitory. During the search, a midshipman reportedly mistook a responding officer for an armed intruder and struck him with the butt of a training rifle. The officer, believing he was under attack, discharged his weapon and shot the midshipman in the upper arm and shoulder area. Both the midshipman and the officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated and released from local hospitals. Authorities later confirmed there was no actual shooter, and the lockdown was lifted overnight.

Federal prosecutors have charged Fleming with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate communication (a felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted). The US Attorney’s Offices in both Indiana and Maryland are jointly prosecuting the case, while the FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) continue their investigation, with assistance from the Porter County Sheriff’s Office.

Fleming’s attorney, Jonathan Bedi, has issued a strong defense of his client, stating that the government’s accusations are premature and based solely on an unproven complaint. He added that they intend to fight the charges in court and expressed confidence that once all facts are revealed, Fleming will be vindicated.

Fleming is scheduled for a detention hearing next week.