Suicide Bomb Threat at College Israel Vigil Sparks Secret Investigation

New details have emerged regarding the pro-Israel demonstration at the University of Florida that descended into a stampede last month, including information about an alleged suicide bomb threat made against the event.

The demonstration, dubbed “United with Israel,” took place at the school’s Gainesville, Florida, campus on October 9, two days after the militant group Hamas launched its deadliest-ever attack against Israel, ultimately killing 1,400 Israelis. The ensuing retaliation by Israel has, as of Monday, killed over 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Associated Press, prompting a fierce international debate over the conflict and growing calls for a ceasefire.

At a certain point during the candlelight vigil, a panic sprang up in the crowd, causing the roughly 1,200 participants to flee. The ensuing stampede left 30 people injured. Police later confirmed that panic had not been sparked by any actual threat. When one person at the scene fainted, some nearby shouted for someone to call 911. This gesture was misinterpreted by others, resulting in the stampede.

On Monday, The Gainesville Sun reported that police body-camera footage from the chaotic incident had been released. In the footage, according to the report, students can be seen sprinting around, discarding phones and water bottles as they go. The officers at the event can also be seen drawing their pistols, searching the scene for a potential shooter.

Also revealed by the bodycam footage was the news that law enforcement had, earlier that day, been assessing a violent threat allegedly made against the demonstration. An area resident had previously reported overhearing their neighbor, an older man, claiming that he planned to detonate a suicide bomb in a backpack at the campus gathering, aiming “to kill a bunch of Jews.”

Students at the school told The Gainesville Sun that they had not been warned about the threat ahead of time. The threat had also not been reported on until Monday. Organizers of the demonstration, when told about the information by the newspaper, expressed surprise and asked for evidence.

University officials declined to comment on whether or not they were aware of the bomb threat at the time. Notably, the school’s president, Ben Sasse, attended the vigil, suggesting that he may not have known about the threat or had been told that it had been handled.

“I’m going to defer to the PD on how they explain that,” university spokeswoman Cynthia Roldan told The Gainesville Sun. “There are many moving pieces.”

Newsweek reached out to the Gainesville Police Department via email for further comment.