LCC student charged with making terror threat after police say threatening texts sent

Hours after Lansing Community College police said a student was in custody after threatening the school, a Howell man was charged with making a false terrorism report. 

David Tomaszycki, 31, was charged Wednesday in Eaton County District Court with making a false terrorism report and maliciously using a telecommunications device. LCC spokesperson Marilyn Twine confirmed Wednesday that Tomaszycki is a student but would not confirm he is the student accused of sending the threatening texts.

A judge set a $50,000 cash bond for Tomaszycki during an arraignment hearing Wednesday afternoon, a court official said. Tomaszycki's attorney, Steven Freeman, declined comment, saying he had yet to receive information about the investigation. 

Police said earlier Wednesday that a different LCC student called the Eaton County Sheriff's Office just before 1 a.m. Wednesday to report the threats against the school. The sheriff's office then transferred the call to LCC police. 

LCC police, the Eaton County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police investigated and took a 31-year-old man into custody at 3:56 a.m. Wednesday, LCC Public Safety Director Bill French said.

A weapon was recovered when the suspect was arrested, French said. The threats were directed at the school, but were not a threat of mass destruction, French said. 

LCC sent the alert, which is mandated under the Clery Act, about six hours after the arrest. The college did not notify students immediately about the threat because classes were not in session, and the subject was apprehended hours before classes began, LCC spokesperson Marilyn Twine said. 

LCC has six campuses across the mid-Michigan area, including one in Howell.

A hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for Tomaszycki to stand trial is set for Sept. 21.

In a separate incident, a 20-year-old man was sentenced in May for sending threatening messages about the LCC campus via text.

Damian Douglas Walker was sentenced to six months in jail.

His threats led to the evacuation of three LCC campuses. When police searched Walker's apartment, they found an AR-15, another rifle, magazines and ammunition, according to court records.  

Contact Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.