{
  "id": "2024-04-02-msu-billings-online-threat",
  "slug": "msu-billings-online-threat-2024-04-02",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Montana State University Billings",
    "shortName": "MSUB",
    "state": "MT",
    "type": "public-masters",
    "alertSystemName": "MSUB Alert",
    "enrollment": 4100
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-04-02",
    "type": "threat-of-violence",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "unfounded",
    "headline": "Anonymous tip of online shooting threats locks down two campuses; suspect detained",
    "headlinePublic": "Anonymous tip of online shooting threats locks down two campuses; suspect detained",
    "summary": "On the morning of April 2, 2024, [Montana State University Billings and its City College locked down](https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/shelter-in-place-and-lockdown-ordered-at-msub-and-city-college) after an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip claimed an enrolled student had made online shooting threats. The [emergency text](https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/shelter-in-place-and-lockdown-ordered-at-msub-and-city-college), which read 'EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION: THIS IS NOT A TEST. Shelter in place.', went out at 9:05 a.m. MDT.",
    "outcome": "Billings Police located the named individual off-campus and detained the suspect. No weapon was found, no shots were fired, and the lockdown was lifted later that morning. University officials called the messaging system response an 'error' that was triggered cautiously.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-04-02T09:05:00-06:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION: THIS IS NOT A TEST. Shelter in place. A threat has been made that may impact your safety. A lock down is in place. Updates will be provided as conditions warrant. Visit msubillings.edu or check email for more info.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/shelter-in-place-and-lockdown-ordered-at-msub-and-city-college",
      "sourceDescription": "KTVQ Q2 News reporting verbatim from MSUB emergency text",
      "annotations": [
        "Sent at 9:05 a.m. MDT on April 2, 2024 to both the main MSUB campus and City College campus",
        "Triggered by an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip received at 8:46 a.m. MDT, with no clear target or location specified",
        "The 'THIS IS NOT A TEST' framing is standard MSUB protocol because the system runs frequent scheduled tests"
      ],
      "characterCount": 238
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Late morning, April 2, 2024 (MDT)",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "MSUB ALERT: The lockdown and shelter in place is no longer in effect.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.kulr8.com/news/msub-lifts-lockdown-and-shelter-in-place-after-shooting-threat-suspect-in-question-detained/article_4fe223de-f103-11ee-a045-4b645b92efbe.html",
      "sourceDescription": "KULR-8 reporting verbatim from MSUB all-clear",
      "annotations": [
        "Issued after Billings Police located the named suspect off-campus and detained the individual",
        "MSUB Police said this was an 'error in the messaging system' and that there was never an active shooter or onsite threat",
        "The named individual was not found on campus; police said the threat was online-only and not credible to MSUB"
      ],
      "characterCount": 69
    }
  ],
  "context": "On Tuesday morning, April 2, 2024, Montana State University Billings and its City College campus initiated a coordinated lockdown after [University Police received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip](https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/shelter-in-place-and-lockdown-ordered-at-msub-and-city-college) at approximately 8:46 a.m. MDT alleging that a student believed to be enrolled at MSUB had posted online threats of committing a shooting. With no specific target or location named in the tip, both campuses were placed in lockdown at 9:05 a.m. MDT 'out of an abundance of caution.' Billings Police, MSUB Police, and Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded; investigators [located the named suspect off-campus and detained the individual](https://www.kulr8.com/news/msub-lifts-lockdown-and-shelter-in-place-after-shooting-threat-suspect-in-question-detained/article_4fe223de-f103-11ee-a045-4b645b92efbe.html) before clearing the campuses. MSUB later said the messaging-system response was an 'error' in that the threat did not actually impact campus, but the lockdown was triggered conservatively because no target was specified. The incident illustrated how the standard 'THIS IS NOT A TEST' opening (required because MSUB tests its [emergency notification system](https://www.msubillings.edu/police/emergency_notifications.htm) frequently) frames every real alert.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "MSUB's verbatim alert text leads with 'THIS IS NOT A TEST' because the system runs frequent scheduled tests",
    "The lockdown was triggered by an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip with no specified target or location",
    "Police later detained the named individual off-campus; no weapon was recovered and the threat was deemed not credible to MSUB"
  ],
  "responseTimeMinutes": 19,
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Online threat directed at MSU-Billings investigated (KTVQ Q2)",
      "url": "https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/shelter-in-place-and-lockdown-ordered-at-msub-and-city-college",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "MSUB lifts lockdown and shelter-in-place after shooting threat (KULR-8)",
      "url": "https://www.kulr8.com/news/msub-lifts-lockdown-and-shelter-in-place-after-shooting-threat-suspect-in-question-detained/article_4fe223de-f103-11ee-a045-4b645b92efbe.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Online threat directed at MSU-Billings investigated (KPAX)",
      "url": "https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/shelter-in-place-and-lockdown-ordered-at-msub-and-city-college",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "University Police Emergency Notifications (MSU Billings)",
      "url": "https://www.msubillings.edu/police/emergency_notifications.htm",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "threat-of-violence",
    "online-threat",
    "montana",
    "billings",
    "lockdown",
    "shelter-in-place",
    "anonymous-tip",
    "public-masters"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-03",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-05-03",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}