Second CSULB student arrested after campus threat led to lockdown

A second Cal State Long Beach student was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 8, on suspicion of threatening violence on campus the previous day, leading to the campus lockdown.

Investigators said Tuesday, they believe 18-year-old Prateek Devulpally sent the threatening message. A female student had been arrested at the end of the Monday lock down.

University police learned of an email Monday afternoon threatening to shoot up the university. The campus sheltered-in-place for about 30 minutes. The lockdown was lifted after police arrested the female student who was believed to be the sole suspect, police said at that time.

“She’s cooperating, it turns out she was a victim,” University police Capt. John Brockie said.

It was later, investigators learned Devulpally sent the school shooting threat and hacked into the female student’s email address to do it, Brockie said.

The female student was released on Monday, Brockie said. Police don’t believe there is any relationship between her and Devulpally.

During a post-arrest interview with University police, Devulpally said he illegally accessed the other student’s email account to send the threat, while both students were on campus, according to university officials.

Devulpally was arrested Tuesday in Peterson Hall 1, Brockie said.

University police said he female student who was initially arrested “supports prosecution of Devulpally for creating and sending the threat from her email account.”

Devulpally was booked at the Long Beach Jail on two felony counts: one on suspicion of making criminal threats, and the other on suspicion of knowingly and without permission using or causing computer services.

Devulpally was being held on $50,000 bail.