An Indiana man was charged in federal court Tuesday with making an online threat across state lines that prompted a lockdown and a response to a reported shooting at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana said.
Jackson Fleming, 23, of Chesterton, Indiana, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate communication, the office said. Prosecutors said the allegation stems from a post sent through a social media application that authorities say threatened the academy and led to the lockdown.
The Naval Academy issued an alert last week that authorities were responding to reports of a gunman, though the academy later said there was no active shooter threat. The announcement prompted security forces to mobilize and created confusion on campus, during which a midshipman who had mistaken the security activity for an attack was shot in the shoulder, academy officials said. The midshipman was treated and released from a hospital Friday. A member of the naval security force suffered minor injuries and was also treated and released, the academy said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the charge filed against Fleming carries federal jurisdiction because the alleged threat was transmitted in interstate commerce. Federal prosecutors did not immediately release details about the social media account or the exact content of the post. Law enforcement officials in Maryland and Indiana coordinated during the investigation, the release said.
Fleming’s attorney, Jonathan Bodi, said in an email that the defense will contest the charge. "We intend to fight these charges in court vigorously," Bodi wrote. "No one, including Jack, should be judged by a mere accusation from the government. We are prepared to mount the strongest possible defense, and I am confident that when the complete facts emerge, Jack will be vindicated."
The case highlights heightened anxiety surrounding reports of violence at schools and other public institutions in recent weeks. News reports have pointed to several incidents that have kept security concerns in the public eye, including a shooting at a Denver high school last week that left two students injured and the gunman dead, and a shooting at a Minneapolis-area Catholic church and affiliated school more than two weeks earlier that investigators said left two children dead and many others wounded.
Investigators have not alleged any connection between Fleming and the campus injuries beyond the assertion that his online threat precipitated the security response. Officials at the Naval Academy and federal prosecutors in Indiana did not immediately provide additional public information about the investigation, including whether Fleming will face further charges as inquiries continue.
Fleming is scheduled to appear in federal court for initial proceedings, where a judge will address detention and set further dates in the case, according to standard federal procedures. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Naval Academy declined to comment beyond the statements issued in their news releases.
Authorities emphasized that the academy has since resumed normal operations and that campus leaders and security personnel are reviewing the response to last week’s incident. Local and federal officials continue to encourage anyone with information about the social media post or related activity to contact investigators.