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1 year ago
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LSU gymnast and social media star Olivia Dunne reveals that she chose to stop attending classes in-person after an apparent stalker threatened to 'shoot-up' the school's campus in Baton Rouge.
Dunne, a 21-year-old senior and the highest-earning college athlete in the US, opened up about the 'scare' and explained that it was different from any other message she's gotten.
'I had a scare once with a message that I got about a class I was going to, and I was like, you know what, it's not worth it,' Dunne said in a phone interview with NJ Advance Media last month.
'It was a threat. It seemed like they knew where I was at and what class, and I just decided better (to be) safe than sorry.'
According to a report filed with LSU Police, Dunne was threatened on Instagram on December 2, 2021.
LSU gymnastics star Olivia Dunne revealed a threat to shoot up the school kept her from class
Dunne said she's been the target of threats from stalkers while attending the school
The safety of Dunne and her teammates has led LSU to hire more security for gymnastic meets
'(Dunne) added that due to her large social media following … she was used to getting strange messages from unknown accounts but has not received a message of this nature before,' the police report states.
No arrests were made after LSU Police launched an investigation and Dunne blocked the account.
But just two months later, on February 9, 2022, LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark called campus authorities when an unidentified man was seen inside the team's facility watching the athletes.
Multiple men were seen walking around the building before the unknown male entered the facility, according to surveillance footage. No chargers were filed.
Dunne has gone on record before about issues she's had on social media and with safety while trying to attend classes - speaking on the 'Today Show' about an incident where the school went to police in 2022.
'Yeah there are some people occasionally that do reach out and it is a bit concerning,' Dunne said at the time.
Those comments came a few weeks after Dunne made headlines after a huge crowd of male fans showed up to the Tigers' opening meet of the 2022 season against the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. LSU began to bring more security with the gymnastics team from that point on.
'I love getting to know the people that follow me and what I do, so I always try to say hi to everybody I can that recognizes me when I'm out in public and I always try to take a picture,' Dunne said. 'But this past year, it's been a bit crazy.'
English (US)