On April 16th, Gabriela Saldana, a 23-year-old student at Florida International University (FIU), was arrested for comments made in a WhatsApp group chat of 215 people, which authorities considered a credible threat to campus safety. Saldana allegedly joked about a bomb being placed at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, stating, “Netanyahu, if you can hear me, drop some bonbons for us Capstone students in Ocean Bank Convocation Center.” The term “bonbons” appeared to reference a trending social media meme in which users mockingly call on the Israeli Prime Minister to “strike” certain locations.

However, Saldana allegedly escalated her comments by directly threatening that there would be a bomb at the venue and naming a classmate as the person responsible. Students in the chat quickly reported the messages, prompting an investigation by the FIU Robbery-Homicide Division. She has since been charged with a second-degree felony for making written threats and could face up to 15 years in prison. Although Saldana claimed her comments were a “dumb joke,” Judge Mindy S. Glazer ruled that an “objective person” could perceive the messages as a genuine threat, setting her bail at $5,000.

FIU officials have confirmed that there is no ongoing danger to the campus but have reminded students that threats of violence, even if made in jest, will be taken very seriously and may result in legal consequences.