Iowa State University police stop alleged mass shooting plot
An alleged mass shooting plot at an Iowa State University graduation was thwarted by law enforcement. Now the Nevada man faces federal stalking charges. Tanner Bandy, 28, not only faces that federal charge, but he was previously charged in Iowa courts with stalking and possession of a dangerous weapon, according to court documents. Investigators said for months, Bandy has been sending an ISU student violent and threatening messages, which then escalated to threatening to commit a mass shooting at the university's upcoming spring commencement ceremony.On April 16, the victim reported the threats to the ISU police.The next day, Bandy was arrested at the sheriff's office as he tried to renew his gun permit. According to documents, Bandy lost his job in early April, after which he "began exhibiting attack planning indicators." The documents said Bandy said he wanted to kill the stalking victim and as many as possible at the ISU ceremony. "It was clear to us he was on a, what we would call, a pathway to violence. He was already into the pre-prep, getting ready to prepare for an attack. And we knew at this point; we needed to get an intervention in place," said ISU police Chief Michael Newton.A search warrant later uncovered guns and ammunition at his home. Police also found a printout of the details of the commencement taped to his bathroom mirror with the date of the ceremony handwritten in large print. He will be back in court on May 1.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
