Man arrested on harassment charges, threatened mass shooting at ISU graduation

By Kelby Wingert

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    AMES, Iowa (KCCI) — Iowa State University police have arrested a man they say stalked a woman and threatened to commit a mass shooting at the school’s upcoming spring commencement ceremony.

ISU PD sent an email out to the campus on Thursday, saying the arrest started with a stalking investigation after an ISU employee reported that the suspect threatened to kill her and others.

Tanner Bandy, 28, of Nevada, has been charged with five counts of harassment and stalking-possession of a dangerous weapon.

Court documents say Bandy has been stalking and threatening the woman since October, leaving many threatening and violent voicemails. Beginning in April, the charging documents say, Bandy began getting specific with times and locations for where he planned to kill the victim, including shooting her and “as many people as he can” during Iowa State’s upcoming commencement ceremony.

At one point, the documents say, Bandy told the victim he planned to buy an AR-15 and “figure out how many people I can cut down at this [expletive] commencement ceremony.”

On Wednesday, the victim reported the threats and harassment to ISU PD. Bandy was arrested on Thursday at the Story County Sheriff’s Office, trying to update a weapons permit.

The ISU PD tells KCCI that evidence indicates that Bandy actually intended to act on his threats and that firearms and ammunition were seized during search warrants.

Bandy is not an Iowa State University student.

The ISU PD said that though they don’t believe there is an ongoing concern, increased security measures will be in place on campus and during university commencement ceremonies in May.

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