Stetson Student Arrested For Making “Joke” White House Bomb Threat

DeLand, FL – A Stetson University student’s “joking” threat against the White House doesn’t have local or federal authorities laughing. Brian Ghalili’s arrest on Friday (Jan. 21) came after a student reported a post he had made on Snapchat to campus security. A report from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office says Ghalili used the moniker “ELK1sh” when he made the post.  The post claimed that he had a bomb with four IEDs strapped to his chest, and said he was located at the White House—which was determined by a set of coordinates included in the post—and said authorities had 13 hours to stop him. There’s a bomb straped (sic) to my chest rigged with 4 IEDs. I am currently located at 38.8977° N, 77.0365° W. You have persisly (sic) 13 hours to stop me from killing “innocent” people. Good luck sheep. – Ghalili’s post As law enforcement investigated the threat, they entered Ghalili as a missing person because he couldn’t be found at his dorm and missed the past two days of class. Investigators, including several agents from the FBI, tried to find Ghalili at his family’s Daytona Beach Shores condo, but did not make contact with him, despite his vehicle being spotted in the parking garage. Law enforcement made contact after returning to the home. Once they announced that they were there to conduct a well-being check, Ghalili surfaced from a bedroom in the condo. His initial concern was law enforcement coming to the condo because of drugs after another student told him his dorm was searched by DeLand police and Stetson security earlier that day. When asked about any recent social media posts, Ghalili referred to a “joke” he posted on Snapchat about a fake bombing, adding that he only posted the coordinates for “shock value.” Investigators asked why he made the post, but Ghalili couldn’t provide any other reason besides having a “dark sense of humor.” The United States Secret Service was also made aware of the post and traveled to Volusia County to make contact with Ghalili. Ghalili remains in the Volusia County Jail on no bond, charged with threatening to discharge a destructive device—which could land him in prison for up to 15 years if he’s convicted. Court documents obtained by News Daytona Beach show Ghalili has filed a not guilty plea and is due in court on Wednesday (Jan. 26) for a criminal hearing, and an arraignment on February 15.