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2d ago

Former Midshipman Charged Over Online Threat That Locked Down Naval Academy

Prosecutors say investigators traced the hoax post to a laptop tied to the ex-midshipman.

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Food delivery orders are left near the entrance of the U.S. Naval Academy, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Law enforcement officers gather on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)

Overview

  • Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that Jackson Fleming, 23, of Chesterton, Indiana, was arrested and charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate communication.
  • The Sept. 11 post on a social media app prompted a campus lockdown that officials later said did not involve an active shooter, and during the response a midshipman who struck a security officer with a parade rifle was shot in the shoulder; both were treated and released.
  • The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with help from the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, traced the message to an IP address associated with a laptop linked to Fleming and crafted to appear as if it originated on campus.
  • Fleming remains in federal custody ahead of a Sept. 22 detention hearing, and the complaint carries a maximum five-year sentence if he is convicted.
  • Defense attorney Jonathan Bedi says Fleming will vigorously contest the allegation, and Navy officials confirmed he previously served as a midshipman from June 2021 to January 2024.