{
  "id": "2024-02-23-university-of-tulsa-threat",
  "slug": "university-of-tulsa-threat-2024-02-23",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Tulsa",
    "shortName": "TU",
    "state": "OK",
    "type": "private-r2",
    "alertSystemName": "UTulsa Alert",
    "enrollment": 3600
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-02-23",
    "type": "threat-of-violence",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "headline": "Armed threat against student union staff prompts evacuation; two suspects arrested",
    "headlinePublic": "Armed threat against student union staff prompts evacuation; two suspects arrested",
    "summary": "On February 23, 2024, an employee of an on-campus restaurant in the [Allan Chapman Student Union sent coworkers a photo of himself holding a rifle](https://www.fox23.com/news/police-say-two-teens-in-custody-after-potential-threat-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union/article_bf86c770-d29b-11ee-b038-b3afe0721f01.html), threatening to come and harm staff. The university [evacuated the Student Union and sent a text alert at 4:07 PM CST](https://www.news9.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-). Two 19-year-olds were [arrested at their home where police found two AR-15s, a Glock 23, and a high-capacity drum magazine](https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-courts/police-arrest-two-in-connection-to-a-possible-threat-to-tu-campus/article_550f60a0-d354-11ee-b847-f39170bc650f.html).",
    "outcome": "Michael Johnson and Marshon Duckett, both 19, were arrested at their home. Police seized two AR-15 rifles, a Glock 23 handgun, and a high-capacity drum magazine. No shots were fired and no one was injured."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-02-23T16:07:00-06:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "ACSU is being evacuated. An emergency situation has been reported; authorities are investigating. Stay away from the area.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.newson6.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-",
      "sourceDescription": "TU text alert quoted verbatim by News On 6",
      "annotations": [
        "Sent at 4:07 PM CST on February 23, 2024 according to News On 6 reporting",
        "ACSU refers to the Allan Chapman Student Union, the central student gathering space on the TU campus, the alert assumes student familiarity with the abbreviation rather than spelling it out",
        "The brief 'authorities are investigating' framing does not mention the rifle-photo threat that had triggered the evacuation"
      ],
      "characterCount": 122
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-02-23T16:48:00-06:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "The situation is still ongoing at the Student Union. Continue to avoid the area.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.newson6.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-",
      "sourceDescription": "TU text alert quoted verbatim by News On 6",
      "annotations": [
        "Sent at 4:48 PM CST (41 minutes after the initial alert) without offering any new substantive information",
        "The update repeats the avoidance instruction without new substantive information while the investigation continued"
      ],
      "characterCount": 80
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-02-23T17:26:00-06:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "The situation is still ongoing at the Student Union. Continue to avoid the area. The Student Union will be closed for the evening.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.newson6.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-",
      "sourceDescription": "TU text alert quoted verbatim by News On 6",
      "annotations": [
        "Sent at 5:26 PM CST, the third TU text in 79 minutes",
        "First operational decision communicated: the Student Union would remain closed for the evening, a signal that the investigation would extend beyond a quick resolution",
        "Michael Johnson and Marshon Duckett, both 19, were arrested later that evening at their home where police seized two AR-15s, a Glock 23, and a high-capacity drum magazine"
      ],
      "characterCount": 130
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": "2024-02-23T19:53:00-06:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.newson6.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-",
      "sourceDescription": "TU all-clear alert paraphrased by News On 6 reporting that included the 6:30 AM Saturday reopening detail",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "On February 23, 2024, an employee of a restaurant in the [Allan Chapman Student Union at the University of Tulsa](https://www.fox23.com/news/police-say-two-teens-in-custody-after-potential-threat-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union/article_bf86c770-d29b-11ee-b038-b3afe0721f01.html) sent coworkers a photo of himself holding a rifle, threatening to come to the Student Union and harm staff. The university evacuated the ACSU and [sent a text alert at 4:07 PM CST](https://www.news9.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-). [Tulsa World reported](https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-courts/police-arrest-two-in-connection-to-a-possible-threat-to-tu-campus/article_550f60a0-d354-11ee-b847-f39170bc650f.html) that two 19-year-olds (Michael Johnson and Marshon Duckett) were arrested at their home, where police seized two AR-15 rifles, a Glock 23 handgun, and a high-capacity drum magazine. [KJRH](https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/threats-made-at-university-of-tulsa) provided additional Tulsa-market coverage. No shots were fired and no injuries occurred.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Police seized two AR-15 rifles, a Glock 23 handgun, and a high-capacity drum magazine from the suspects' home; no shots were fired",
    "The threat came from a non-student employee of an on-campus restaurant, highlighting security considerations for third-party vendors",
    "The photo-with-rifle threat delivery method via coworker text messages represents a modern threat vector"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Two teens in custody after potential threat at TU Student Union (Fox23)",
      "url": "https://www.fox23.com/news/police-say-two-teens-in-custody-after-potential-threat-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union/article_bf86c770-d29b-11ee-b038-b3afe0721f01.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Possible threat forces evacuation at TU Student Union (News9)",
      "url": "https://www.news9.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Police arrest two in connection to TU campus threat (Tulsa World)",
      "url": "https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-courts/police-arrest-two-in-connection-to-a-possible-threat-to-tu-campus/article_550f60a0-d354-11ee-b847-f39170bc650f.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Threats made at University of Tulsa (KJRH)",
      "url": "https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/threats-made-at-university-of-tulsa",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "TU text alert quoted verbatim by News On 6",
      "url": "https://www.newson6.com/story/65d9218cf065ba0658e4afac/possible-threat-forces-evacuation-at-university-of-tulsa-student-union-police-investigating-",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "threat-of-violence",
    "employee-threat",
    "student-union",
    "oklahoma",
    "ar-15",
    "weapons-seized",
    "prevented-attack",
    "photo-threat",
    "private-university"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}