Threat Related to U.S. Naval Academy Leads to Arrest

A former midshipman has been arrested after allegedly sending an online threat regarding the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

The suspect, Jackson Fleming, 23, from Chesterton, Indiana, is facing charges for communicating a threat across state lines, as noted in a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.

Fleming was taken into custody on Friday, under suspicion of making threats through a social media app about the Naval Academy. He was officially charged two days later.

Interestingly, the threat appears to align with a security incident that occurred at the academy on the same day. The Naval Academy went into lockdown and one individual was injured as security personnel were working to secure the premises.

An internal email from Colonel David Forman, the deputy commander of Midshipmen, revealed that a midshipman misinterpreted law enforcement actions as threatening and was injured in the process.

Initial reports indicate that the threat originated from an anonymous chat platform known as Yodel and was linked to a midshipman who was reportedly isolating at home in the Midwest.

A spokesperson for the Naval Academy commented, albeit without confirming any direct connections between Fleming’s arrest and the incidents at the academy. They did confirm that Fleming had been a midshipman from June 30, 2021, to January 5, 2024.

The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are jointly investigating the matter, assisted by the Porter County Sheriff’s Office.