Campus Alert Archive
UNO

Former Student's Erratic Behavior and Assault Rifle Purchase Forces UNO Campus Closure

LAthreat of violenceemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On November 21, 2022, the University of New Orleans canceled classes and closed its campus after a former student displayed erratic behavior on campus and was found to have posted photos and video of himself purchasing an assault-style rifle on social media. The suspect, 22-year-old Karam Mohammed Alhatel, was arrested and charged with terrorizing, stalking, and unlawful disruption of the operation of a school.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
University of New Orleans
Public R1 · LA
~8,000 studentsUNO Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction216 chars
UNO Alert: Due to a possible threat, UNO campus is closed and classes are canceled for today, Monday, November 21. All students, faculty, and staff should not come to campus until further notice. Updates will follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from multiple news sources describing UNO President Nicklow's campus-wide communication
The closure was announced before dawn on November 21 after campus police reviewed the former student's social media accounts over the weekend
UNO President Dr. John Nicklow emailed students, faculty, and staff about the closure
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction306 chars
UNO Alert UPDATE: The suspect who made threats against the UNO campus has been arrested. The suspect is a former student who displayed erratic and disruptive behavior on campus last week. Campus police discovered photos and video on his social media accounts showing the purchase of an assault style rifle.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from media reports paraphrasing UNO's official update
NOPD arrested Karam Mohammed Alhatel, 22, on the morning of November 21
The suspect's social media posts showing the rifle purchase were key evidence for campus police
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction198 chars
UNO Alert: The suspect has been taken into custody. Classes and normal campus operations will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, November 22. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this incident.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from media reports of UNO's campus reopening announcement
Campus was closed for one full day before reopening on November 22
Context

Background

On November 21, 2022, the University of New Orleans closed its campus and canceled classes after campus police identified a credible threat from a former student. According to UNO President Dr. John Nicklow's message to the campus community, the former student had come to campus the previous week and displayed erratic and disruptive behavior. When campus police reviewed his social media accounts, they discovered photos and video showing him purchasing an assault-style rifle. In a joint operation involving NOPD, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Marshals Task Force, 22-year-old Karam Mohammed Alhatel was arrested overnight into the morning of November 21 and booked on charges of terrorizing, stalking, and unlawful disruption of the operation of a school. Classes resumed the following day. The incident demonstrated the importance of behavioral threat assessment and social media monitoring. Campus police identified the threat through social media review rather than through a direct violent act, allowing for a proactive campus closure before any violence occurred.
Analysis

Key Findings

Campus police identified the threat proactively through social media monitoring, enabling a preemptive campus closure rather than a reactive lockdown
The suspect's erratic on-campus behavior the prior week served as a behavioral warning sign that prompted further investigation
The campus was closed for only one day before normal operations resumed, demonstrating effective threat resolution
Outcome
Karam Mohammed Alhatel, 22, was arrested on the morning of November 21 and booked on charges of terrorizing, stalking, and unlawful disruption of the operation of a school. Classes resumed on Tuesday, November 22.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    UNO cancels classes, closes campus due to possible threat (FOX 8)
    fox8live.com
  2. News
    Suspect accused of threatening UNO's campus arrested; classes resuming Tuesday (FOX 8)
    fox8live.com
  3. News
    UNO canceling classes, closing campus due to possible threat (WWL-TV)
    wwltv.com
  4. News
    University of New Orleans campus shut down after threat made by former student (CBS 42)
    cbs42.com
  5. News
    UNO cancels Monday classes due to unspecified 'threat' discovered Friday (NOLA.com)
    nola.com
Tags
threat-of-violencecampus-closureformer-studentproactive-responsesocial-media-monitoringlouisianapublic-r1assault-rifle
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion