Students charged with 'threat of mass violence' on college campus

DAYTON — Two Bryan College students are facing charges of “threats of mass violence on school property,” after allegedly threatening to blow up the school, according to an arrest report on file at the Dayton Police Department.

Bryson Dotson, 18, and Christian Misciagna, 20, are each facing one charge of filing a false report and one charge of threat of mass violence on school property or at a school related activity after allegedly making threats during a series of phone calls to another student on Saturday, April 20.

Dayton Police Department Sgt. Allen Reed said that those threats did “not appear to be a legitimate threat to the campus.”

On Sunday, April 21, Reed said that he responded to a dorm room on the campus in reference to those threats. A student in that dorm room, Reed said, had received multiple threatening calls between around 10:45 p.m. and 11:55 p.m. the night before.

“[The student) received multiple telephone calls from a private number,” Reed said. “[The student) advised that during the telephone calls, his life was threatened and a threat was made toward Bryan College.”

Reed said that the student told him that while the calls were coming from a private number and he did not know who was making the calls, the caller did know private information about the student. The student recorded many of the calls, according to the report.

“During the recording that lasted approximately 1:27, the male subject mentioned being out near the Bryan College Welcome Center and driving over speed bumps,” Reed said. “The male subject advised that ‘if he has to keep driving around the school he’s going to blow the whole (expletive) up.”

Reed said that the caller also threatened the student’s life and implied he had a gun. At one point in the calls, the report states, the caller stated “there won’t be not talking, just one pull of a trigger.”

“[The student) advised he did not feel threatened by the statements made by the male subject but he was concerned for the safety of the school,” Reed said.

Investigators with the Dayton Police Department responded to the scene and were soon able to trace the calls after further investigation and after speaking with witnesses and school officials. That investigation, Reed, said led law enforcement officials to Dotson and Misciagna.

Reed said that Dotson told investigators that he did not speak with the student over the phone “but would not advise who did speak to (the student].” Also, Reed said, Misciagna told investigators that “he and group of friends prank called (the student) for fun.”

Both Dotson and Misciagna were arrested and are each facing one charge of filing a false report and one charge of threat of mass violence on school property or at a school related activity. According to jail records, they have since bonded out of jail by press time Tuesday.

Officials with Bryan College said they had no comments at this time.