Content warning: This article contains graphic threats of violence, including a mass shooting and domestic violence.
Tanner Bandy, 28, of Nevada, Iowa, was arrested for stalking inside the Story County Sheriff’s Office by ISUPD Thursday afternoon after an Iowa State student reported messages and voicemails containing threats of hurting them, as well as others, at the May 16 commencement ceremony.
ISUPD Chief Michael Newton told the Daily that there is no “ongoing threat” but that Bandy was on “the pathway to violence.”
The student reported to ISUPD on Wednesday about receiving daily phone calls and voicemails from an ex-fiance since the fall, according to the criminal complaint.
In January, Bandy allegedly started sending death threats to the student. In April, he began “repeatedly” threatening to shoot the student and “as many people as he can” at the commencement ceremony.
“I’m gonna go figure out how to go buy a [expletive] 556 [expletive] NATO AR-15 and figure out how many people I can cut down at this [expletive] commencement ceremony,” part of a message sent on Tuesday in the criminal complaint stated.
On Wednesday, the same day the report was made, Bandy entered the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Nevada Police Department in an attempt to renew a permit to acquire guns. He was referred to the Story County Sheriff’s Office, which is the proper jurisdiction given his residence in Nevada.
Bandy was arrested on Thursday around 1 p.m. inside the Story County Sheriff’s Office when he attempted to “renew a permit,” Captain Nicholas Lennie told the Daily. Lennie said he was unsure what type of permit Bandy attempted to renew, but that there are “not many other permits we issue” other than weapon permits.
The Ankeny Police Department responded to a call for service “involving Bandy” on April 4, and Bandy told them he “always” carries a Glock 19 handgun in the glovebox of his car, according to the same criminal complaint.
The only scheduled graduation ceremony on the day of the threat, May 16, is for the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Graduate College’s ceremony is planned for May 15 and all undergraduate ceremonies are planned for May 17.
ISUPD Chief Michael Newton told the Daily that all commencement ceremonies are going forward as scheduled and that there will “likely” be “increased security measures” because of the threat.
“In light of this arrest that we made… coupled with an active shooter at another university today, we take our mission of protecting our students, staff, faculty and visitors very seriously,” Newton said.
In Ames, Bandy was charged with stalking with possession of a dangerous weapon.
“Over the last 24 hours, we’ve analyzed a lot of evidence in order to get to a point where we could make the arrest today because we were concerned about the statements the individual was making in such a way that we wanted to take swift and decisive action,” Newton said.
Newton said Bandy will also face five harassment charges, but they were not present in court records at the time of publication.
Bandy is currently being held at the Story County Jail and has no court date set for a bond hearing. Lennie told the Daily Thursday afternoon that Bandy will “most likely” have an initial appearance within “24 hours.”
“Because of people coming forward, we are able to intervene and hopefully get the person the help that they need,” Newton said.
