Gabriel Sharlow, 19, was arrested Wednesday after several community members reported hearing concerning statements and alerted campus safety. Sharlow, a student at the university, was charged with felony communicating a threat of mass violence on educational property.
According to investigators, Sharlow allegedly planned to acquire a shotgun, approximately 100 rounds of ammunition, and several explosive devices, intending to harm or kill anyone on campus except himself. No weapons were found on campus, officials said.
A cheerleader for the university, who did not want to be identified, told ABC11 that threats were made to the cheerleading team.
A university spokesperson told ABC11 about Sharlow, "I cannot speak to the nature of his comments, but I can confirm that he was a new member of the cheer team."
Students say the news left them shocked and uneasy.
"I was just surprised, a little shocked," said Mary Kathryn Stroud, a junior.
Senior Elijah Tillery-Mallory said, "I was concerned, because again, we rarely have something like this happen on campus. I hear, I see it on the news all the time. But to actually experience it was kind of unreal."
Tillery-Mallory described receiving the university's alert email at the student center.
"I was confused at first, but we never have something like this," he said. "You know, this is a quiet area. So as soon as I realized it was actually real, I just got to my car and just drove home."
He said he remains on edge, noting, "It could be like my friends, my closest friends. I had family members on campus as well. So just worried that that could have been them as well."
In a statement, Campbell University said, "Once a credible threat was identified, law enforcement took immediate action. Sharlow was arrested and taken into custody. There were no weapons or any other threats found on campus. Sharlow was released on bond on Thursday, Aug. 20. He has since been dismissed from Campbell University and has been trespassed from all university property."
Campbell University is committed to ensuring the safety of our community. We encourage everyone to be aware of their surroundings at all times. As always, if you observe any concerning behavior, we encourage you to contact the university through our See Something/Say Something program or call Campus Safety at (910) 893-1375 (non-emergency) or (910) 893-1911 (emergency).
Stroud said she was relieved by the university's response. "I was a little bit scared when I first found out. But I'm doing OK. I was glad to see in the email that they handled the situation fairly quickly."
Sharlow was released Thursday on a $100,000 secured bond. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 22.